UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
AT  LOS  ANGELES 


Compliments  of 
WILLIAM  H.  KACLEAN, 

Sfcto  Senator  7th  Oist. 


i 


\ 


HON.  PETER  REINBERG 

PRESIDENT   FOREST   PRESERVE   COMMISSIONERS    OF    COOK    COUNTY. 


The  Forest  Preserves 
of  Cook  County 


OWNED  BY  THE 
FOREST  PRESERVE  DISTRICT  OF 

COOK  COUNTY 
IN  THE  STATE  OF  ILLINOIS 


1918 


Clohesey  &  Company,  Printers 

127  North  Wells  Street 

Chicaeo 


CiC 


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btrb0f  utp  footrat?  ihiii  book  o^vot^b  a0  it  t0 
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of  (Eook  Olowntg. 


206987 


THE  FOREST  PRESERVES  OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS 


Table  of  Contents 

PAGE 

Dedication 3 

Table  of  Contents 5,  6,  7 

Board  of  Forest  Preserve  Commissioners   (Membership) 9 

Introduction  11 

Personnel — Forest  Preserve  Commissioners 29 

Personnel — Citizen  Members  of  Plan  Committee 39 

The  Forest  Preserves.  Their  Present  and  Future 45 

The  Forest  Preserves 67 

Deer  Grove  Preserve  ( Palatine) 69 

Desplaines  River  Valley  Preserve 77 

Palos  Hills  Preserve 89 

Salt  Creek  Valley   Preserve 95 

North  Branch   Chicago   River  Preserve 103 

Beverly  Hills   Preserve 109 

Thornton-Glenwood  Preserve   112 

Chicago  Heights  Preserve 117 

Elk  Grove  Preserve 120 

Miscellaneous   Preserves    124 

Rules  Regulating  the  Use  of  Forest  Preserves 126 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Portrait   Hon.    Peter    Reinberg,    President,    Forest    Preserve   District 

of  Cook  County Frontispiece 

Typical  Scene  (Palos  Park) 11 

Lily   Pond    (Salt   Creek) 13 

Hillside  Woodlands   (Palatine) 14 

Desplaines  River  (Northfield  Township) 15 

Exploring  the  Salt  Creek  Region 16 

Path  Through  Thicketed  Banks  of  Desplaines  River 17 

Where  the  Giant  of  the  Woods  Stands  On  Guard 18 

Artificial  Lake    (Palatine) 19 

North  Branch  of  Chicago  River 20 

Nymphs   at    Play 21 

An  Exploring  Party 21 

Desplaines  River,  South  From  Allison  Bridge 22 

Canoeing  on  Lake  Reinberg 23 

Concrete  Road  Leading  to  Preserve 24 

Real  Estate  Committee  on  Tour  of  Investigation 25 


THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


PAGE 

Let  Lofty  Trees  My  Lowly  Banks,  etc 26 

Forest  Preserve  Commissioners  in  Committee  Meeting 30 

Portraits    (Group),   Commissioners   Reinberg,   Burg,   Busse,    Carolan, 

Fitzgerald    33 

Portraits    (Group),   Commissioners   Kasperski,   Maclean,  Miller,  Mo- 

riarty,  Nowak   35 

Portraits    (Group),  Commissioners  O'Malley,  Pierson,  Ragen,  Ryan, 

Scott    37 

Portraits  (Group),  Citizen  Members  Plan  Committee 41 

Partly  Obliterated  Indian  Trail  (Elk  Grove) 43 

A  Patriarch  of  the  Woods 44 

Open  Scene   (Salt  Creek) 45 

Junction  of  Rand  and  Ballard  Roads,  With  Senne  Woods  in  Back- 
ground     46 

Type  of  Road  Connecting  Preserves 47 

Typical  River  Scene   (Salst  Creek) 48 

Campers  in  Thatcher's  Woods 49 

Picnic  Party  on  Preserve  Grounds 50 

And  Oaks  in  Deeper  Groans  Reply,  etc 50 

Boy  Scouts  Camping  on  Preserve 51 

Family  Recreation  (Northwestern  Park) 52 

Girls'  Camp  (Northwestern  Park) 52 

Carpet  of  Wild  Flowers 53 

Summer  or  Winter,  Day  or  Night,  etc 54 

Bathers,  Children's  Outing  Camp 55 

Camp  Fire  Girls    (Palatine   Preserve) 56 

Bluffs    (Palos  Park) 57 

Thriving  Seedlings  (Palos  Hills) 58 

Cattle  Pasturing  on  Preserve  Lands 58 

Nature-Builit  Playground    59 

Where  the  Bullfrog  Reigns  Supreme 60 

Shock-head  Willows,  Two  by  Two,  by  Rivers,  etc 61 

Sheep  Graze  in  Palatine 62 

Horses  Pasturing  in  Palos  Hills 63 

Old  Indian  Trail   (Palos  Park) 64 

The  Forest  Leaves  Convert,  etc 66 

Hospital  Building  (Camp  Reinberg) 69 

Boy   Scouts'    Drill 70 

Deer  Grazing 70 

President  Reinberg  at  Children's  Outing  Camp 71 

Where  Weeps  the  Birch  with  Silver  Bark,  etc 75 

Baseball  in  the  Woods   (Wheeling  Township)  77 

Old  Stage  Coach  Ford  on  Desplaines  River 78 

Along  the  Desplaines  (Leyden  Township) 80 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS 


PAGE 

Type  of  Comfort  Stations 81 

Thou  Belongest  to  the  Air 84 

Parking  Space  (Thatcher  Park) 85 

A  Pillar'd  Shade  High  Overarched,  etc 88 

Swallows'  Nests  in  Bluff  (Palos  Park) 91 

And  Here  Amid  the  Silent,  etc 92 

Tree  Colony  (Salt  Creek  Region) 95 

Patrolling  the   Desplaines   River 96 

View  of  the  Desplaines  Near  Riverside 99 

Inundation  from  Spring  Freshets 101 

North  Branch  Chicago  River  at  Glenview 108 

Along  the  Salt  Creek 110 

Timber  Line  (Elk  Grove) 112 

Homewood-Lansing  Road,  Skirted  by  Preserve  Property 113 

Because  of  the  Beauitiful  River  Cold,  Covered,  etc 116 

Typical  Timber   (Elk  Grove).. ! 119 

Old  Algonquin  Trail   (Elk  Grove) 121 


MAPS  AND  PLATS. 

Forest  Preserve  District  of  Cook  County 10 

Visualized  Map  of  Cook  County  in  1818 12 

Deer  Grove  Preserve  (Palatine) 68 

Desplaines  River  Valley  Preserve  from  County  Line  South  to    Junc- 
tion of  River  and  Milwaukee  Avenue 76 

Thatcher   Park    82,  83 

Palos  Hills  Preserve,  North  of  Bluff  Road 90 

Portage  Preserve  (Lyons  Township) 98 

Turnbull  Woods   (New  Trier) 102 

Caldwell  Preserve,  from  Milwaukee  Avenue  East  (City  of  Chicago)   104 
Beverly  Hills  Preserve   (Chicago) 109 


THE  FOREST  PRESERVES  OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS 


The  Board  of  Forest  Preserve  Commissioners 
of  Cook  County  1914-1918 

PETER  REINBERG,  PRESIDENT 

BARTLEY  BURG  DANIEL  MORIARTY 

WILLIAM  BUSSE  ALBERT  NOWAK 

JOSEPH  CAROLAN  OWEN  O'MALLEY 

JOSEPH  M.  FITZGERALD  DUDLEY  D.  PIERSON 

THOMAS  KASPERSKI  FRANK  RAGEN 

WILLIAM  H.  MACLEAN  DANIEL  RYAN 

GEORGE  A.  MILLER  WILLIAM  D.  SCOTT 

Commissioners. 


Citizen  Members  of  Plan  Committee 

CHARLES  H.  WACKER  JOHN  C.  VAUGHAN 

WILLIAM  A.  PETERSON  DWIGHT  H.  PERKINS 


10 


THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


FOREST   PRESERVE   DISTRICT 

OF 

COOK     COUNTY 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS 


11 


TYPICAL  SCENE  (PALOS  PARK). 


INTRODUCTION 


TO  THE  CITIZENSHIP  OF  CHICAGO  AND 
COOK   COUNTY. 

Cook  County's  chain  of  Forest  Preserve  Districts,  as  yet 
comparatively  unknown  to  the  public  generally  although  destined 
to  become  the  great  public  playground,  has  a  story  of  the  county's 
earliest  history  which  has  never  been  told.  It  is  the  story  from 
Nature  in  the  role  of  eye-witness. 

Where  mankind  with  its  frailties  has  failed  in  the  preserva- 
tion of  facts  bearing  on  the  earliest  life  in  this  region,  since  de- 
veloped into  such  a  powerful  world  factor,  sturdy  nature  has 
not  failed.  The  story  is  there,  truer  and  more  beautiful  than 
ever  was  put  upon  paper. 


12 


THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


Each  piece  of  rugged  forest  with  its  never-to-be-erased  trails 
winding  through  valleys  and  over  hills  is  a  chapter  in  that  story. 
Each  stream  with  its  fords  marked  by  mighty  rocks  that  will 
be  waiting  for  many  generations  to  come,  is  an  imperishable  illus- 
tration of  the  narrative. 


PHYSICAL  ASPECT  OF  TERRITORY  EMBRACED  IN  COOK  COUNTY  OF 
TODAY,  AS  IT  APPEARED  IN  1818. 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS  13 

And  in  issuing  this  book  by  the  Forest  Preserve  Commis- 
sion it  is  the  hope  of  the  commissioners  that  it  may  be  the  means 
of  awakening  the  people  of  Chicago  and  Cook  County  to  the 
fact  that  this  most  wonderful  story  by  Nature  is  spread  out  be- 
fore them. 


LILY  POND  (SALT  CREEK). 

If  that  one  thing  is  accomplished  the  purpose  of  this  publi- 
cation will  not  have  been  conceived  in  vain.  It  will  have  brought 
to  the  people  of  this  community  the  message  that  these  great 
primeval  forests  that  were  the  battlegrounds  and  hunting  grounds 
of  prehistoric  Cook  County  are  the  recreation  grounds  for  the 
twentieth  century  citizenship. 

And  with  that  accomplished  we  have  accomplished  the  ends 
sought  by  the  lawmakers  of  Illinois  who  conceived  the  idea  of 
the  Forest  Preserve  District — preservation  of  the  forest  land 
for  the  people,  protection  of  the  last  fragments  of  Nature's  most 
wonderful  handiwork  so  fast  giving  way  before  the  crushing 
heel  of  Industry  and  Commerce. 

Historians  generally  go  back  to  where  civilization  first  showed 
its  hand  and  beyond  that  they  are  helpless  to  do  other  than  con- 
jecture and  theorize.  Historians  attempting  to  tell  us  the  story 
of  Cook  County  have  been  no  different. 

The  recognized  history  tells  how  Joliet  and  Marquette,  those 
French  explorers  never  to  be  forgotten,  braved  all  the  dangers 
of  the  Illinois  River,  banked  with  savage  redskins,  to  visit  the 


14 


THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


"Checaugau  Portage"  in  1673.     They  tell  us  only  that  Indians 
did  live  here  previous  to  that  time. 

Where,  how  and  how  long?  Historians  fail  us  but  there 
is  where  Nature  comes  to  the  rescue.  That  is  the  beginning  of 
this  most  wonderful  story  open  to  all  in  Cook  County  willing  to 
have  a  rendezvous  with  Nature  in  these  tracts  of  forest  land 
skirting  the  City  of  Chicago. 

In  the  Palos  Hills  tract — 2,370  acres  of  virgin  forest  bor- 
dering the  Drainage  Canal  that  was  the  Checaugau  (Wild  Onion) 
River  in  Indian  days — there  is  the  only  evidence  we  have  as  to 
what  were  perhaps  the  original  inhabitants  of  our  countryside. 
They  were  mound  Indians. 

Mounds  stand  there  today,  our  only  link  to  the  life  that 
existed  on  the  ground  we  occupy,  back  in  the  days  when  men 
seeking  to  establish  the  globular  formation  of  the  earth  stumbled 
onto  America.  They  tell  at  least  how  and  where  the  aborigines 
lived. 

In  that  same  picturesque  tract  which  abounds  in  historical 
lore  to  be  recited  for  you  in  succeeding  chapters  of  this  publica- 
tion, we  are  able  to  lead  ourselves  down  with  the  years  and  cen- 
turies to  the  present  day. 


HILLSIDE  WOODLANDS   (PALATINE). 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS 


15 


DESPLAINES  RIVER  IN  NORTHFIELD  TOWNSHIP. 


Trails  easily  definable  for  amateurs  and  unmistakable  rem- 
nants of  village  habitation  bear  evidence  to  the  activities  of  the 
Pottowatomies,  Ottawas,  Chippewas,  Winnebagoes  and  Iroquois, 
chiefly  the  first  named — Indians  who  might  be  styled  the  na- 
tives of  Cook  County. 

There,  also,  are  found  the  marks  that  tell  of  white  man's 
first  venture  into  our  domain — the  explorations  of  the  French- 
men. Ruins  of  French  forts  furnish  the  story  of  their  struggles 
to  hold  the  territory  against  the  Indians  who  were  making  a 
fight  for  their  native  land. 

Then  in  the  northern  end  of  the  county  we  likewise  find 
trace  of  the  French  effort  in  the  short-lived  development  of  the 
territory  which  was  theirs  by  virtue  of  their  exploring  tendency. 
It  is  the  site  of  Father  Francois  Pinet's  Jesuit  Mission  founded 
in  1696 — Cook  County's  first  religious  institution. 

That  was  located  near  the  present  Gross  Point,  west  of 
Wilmette,  at  what  were  then  the  headwaters  of  the  North  Branch 
of  the  Chicago  River.  The  site  overlooked  what  the  Indians 
styled  "Quiet  Lake"  from  which  we  have  today  the  picturesque 
Skokie  Marsh. 


16  THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 

This  "Mission  of  Guardian  Angel",  founded  there  because 
of  the  popularity  of  a  portage  between  that  point  on  the  North 
Branch  and  the  southward  flowing  waters  of  the  Desplaines, 
and  the  Durantye  fort,  1686,  near  the  river  mouth,  constituted 
the  French  effort  toward  settlement  of  Cook  County. 

In  1699  opposition  to  the  Jesuits  resulted  in  abandonment 
of  Father  Pinet's  mission  and  for  almost  a  century  the  tribes  of 
red  men  held  full  sway  throughout  the  country,  and,  in  fact, 
throughout  the  entire  Northwest.  Indian  hostility  forced  prac- 
tical abandonment  of  the  "Checaugau  portages"  by  white  men. 

It  was  during  that  period  that  the  Potto watomies,  having 
demonstrated  their  right  to  the  territory  by  many  bloody  wars 
fought  on  the  shores  of  the  Desplaines,  Chicago  and  Calumet 
rivers,  developed  the  "Indian  Cook  County"  evidenced  in  the 
chain  of  villages  and  forts  connecting  trails. 


EXPLORING  THE  SALT  CREEK  REGION. 

It  was  of  these  Indians — our  county's  first  inhabitants — 
that  Judge  Caton,  close  student  of  redman  traits,  wrote,  "They 
despised  the  cultivation  of  the  soil  as  too  mean  even  for  their 
women  and  children,  and  deemed  the  captures  of  the  chase  the 
only  fit  food  for  a  valorous  people." 

Yet  it  was  the  Pottowatomies  that  gave  us  those  "good 
Indians",  Alexander  Robinson  and  Billy  Caldwell  (Sauganash) 
whose  names  have  been  written  indelibly  into  Cook  County's 
history  and  of  whom  you  will  hear  more  later.  And  Grover, 
writing  of  the  Pottowatomies  of  the  Woods,  credited  them  with 
"becoming  in  time  a  different  people;  they  were  susceptible  to 
the  influence  of  civilization  and  religion ;  and  took  kindly  to 
agriculture  to  supplement  the  fruits  of  the  chase." 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS 


17 


PATH  THROUGH  THICKETED  BANKS  OF  DESPLAINES  RIVER. 


Emerging  from  this  century  long  Indian  domination  of  the 
county  we  find  that  the  English,  triumphant  in  seven  years  of 
war  with  France,  had  come  into  possession,  acquiring  everything 
west  to  the  Mississippi  under  the  treaty  of  Paris,  1763. 

And  now  we  are  getting  close  to  the  War  of  the  Revolution 
in  which  Cook  County  Indian  Land  figured  more  than  most 
suspect.  In  the  timberland  bordering  the  Calumet  river  there 
is  the  scene,  never  definitely  located,  of  the  Battle  of  South 
Chicago — a  Revolutionary  conflict  the  same  as  Bunker  Hill, 
Lexington  or  Yorktown. 

It  was  a  victory  for  the  British,  however.  A  motley  but 
daring  force  of  Americans,  Indians  and  Frenchmen  had  given 
vent  to  a  little  revolutionary  spirit  by  a  successful  raid  upon  the 
British  fort  at  St.  Joseph,  Mich.  Laden  with  loot  they  were 
overtaken  by  a  British  pursuit  force  and  a  deadly  conflict  was 
fought  out  on  the  banks  of  the  Calumet,  Dec.  5,  1780. 

First  genuine  conquest  of  the  Northwest  territory  brought 
George  Rogers  Clark  and  his  historic  band  of  soldier-pioneers, 
backed  by  the  state  of  Virginia,  within  the  present  Cook  County 
for  battles  with  the  Indians  though  the  decisive  actions  were  at 
Vincennes,  Indiana,  and  Kaskaskia,  the  Indian  day  state  capital 
of  Illinois. 

But  even  after  that  treaty  of  1783  the  Indians  clung  on  tenaci- 
ously. It  was  twelve  years  later  before  Gen.  Anthony  Wayne 
delivered  the  defeat — the  Battle  of  Fallen  Timbers,  across 
the  line  in  Indiana — that  resulted  in  the  Treaty  of  Greenville 
under  which  six  square  miles  at  the  mouth  of  the  Chicago  river 
and  fifteen  other  like  tracts  over  the  Northwest  were  given  up 
to  Americans. 


18 


THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS  19 

Surveys  were  never  made,  however,  and  that  treaty  does 
not  figure  in  the  land  titles  of  today.  It  was  the  Indian  Boundary 
Line  treaty  in  1816  that  finally  fixed  definitely  the  dividing  line 
between  White  man's  and  Red  man's  ground  in  Cook  County. 
Rogers  Avenue  follows  the  line  of  the  northern  boundary  today. 

In  the  meantime  first  substantial  settlement  of  Chicago  and 
Cook  County  by  Americans  came  with  the  government's  decision 
to  deal  firmly  with  the  unruly  Indians  by  establishment  of  Fort 
Dearborn  at  the  mouth  of  the  river.  With  the  fort,  or  shortly 
afterward,  came  John  Kinzie. 

That  settlement  and  its  tragic  ending  in  the  Fort  Dearborn 
massacre — summer  of  1812 — is  one  of  the  most  stirring  periods 
in  Chicago's  history  and  like  all  others  it  finds  amplification  of 
the  story  in  the  lands  that  constitute  Cook  County's  forest  pre- 
serve districts. 

Land  grants  that  involved  the  woodland  along  the  Chicago 
river  (north  branch)  and  the  Desplaines,  then  known  as  the 
Riviere  Aux  Pleins,  present  a  phase  of  those  perilous  days  which 
has  received  but  scant  attention  from  historians. 

One  section  of  that  land  went  originally  to  Claude  La  Fram- 
boise, a  French  voyageur  whose  wife,  Josette,  was  in  the  house- 
hold of  John  Kinzie  at  the  time  of  the  Indian  outbreak.  An- 
other went  to  Achange  Ouilmette,  Indian  wife  of  Antoine,  like- 
wise a  massacre  hero. 

Voctoire  Pothier  and  Jane  Miranda  won  title  to  tracts  on 
the  Chicago  River,  presumably  their  reward  for  parts  played  in 
the  earlier  tragedy  that  crept  into  the  life  of  Kinzie  before  the 
massacre.  Mrs.  Pothier  or  Porthier  was  an  eye-witness  to  the 
shooting  of  John  Lalime. 


•i 
ARTIFICIAL  LAKE,  PALATINE  PRESERVE. 


20 


THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


Mrs.  Porthier,  a  half  breed  living  in  the  Ouilmette  house 
a  stone's  throw  from  the  newly  erected  Fort  Dearborn,  saw 
Kinzie  and  Lalime  leaving  the  Fort.  There  was  a  quarrel,  a 
shot,  Lalime  fell  dead  and  John  Kinzie  became  a  fugitive. 

With  the  aid  of  Mrs.  Porthier's  father,  Mirandeau,  Kinzie 
got  to  Milwaukee.  Later  on  news  from  Chicago  that  the  mili- 
tary authorities,  on  the  strength  of  the  half  breed's  story,  had 
completely  exonerated  him,  both  Kinzie  and  Mirandeau  returned. 

By  this  same  list  of  land  grants  Chicago's  two  "good  In- 
dians" around  whom  the  earlier  history  of  Cook  County  was 
practically  written,  came  into  possession  of  big  tracts  which 
passed  onto  their  children  and  have  come  into  the  hands  of  the 
Forest  Preserve  District.  We  refer  to  Billy  Caldwell  and  Alex- 
ander Robinson. 


NORTH  BRANCH,  CHICAGO  RIVER. 


Caldwell — Sauganash  was  his  Indian  name — was  the  son  of 
Col.  Caldwell,  a  British  officer  of  Irish  birth,  who  had  married 
a  Pottowatomie  girl.  He  was  educated  by  the  Jesuit  Fathers 
at  Detroit  and  spoke  English  and  French  as  well  as  being  the 
master  of  a  dozen  different  Indian  tongues. 

He  was  a  staunch  ally  of  the  bloodthirsty  Tecumseh's  in  the 
British  cause  during  the  troubled  days  leading  up  to  the  War 
of  1812  and  the  Fort  Dearborn  massacre  but  he  never  forgot 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS 


his  friendship  for  the 
Kinzies  and  that  Chi- 
cago colony. 

Sauganash  was 
really  the  savior  of 
the  Kinzie  family. 
After  the  members  of 
the  Kinzie  household 
had  escaped  miracu- 
lously from  the 
slaughter  at  what  is 
now  Eighteenth 
Street,  the  Indians — 

their  faces  decorated  with  death  paint — had  invaded  the  Kinzie 
home. 

With  a  word  Sauganash  sent  them  away  and  with  the  help 
of  Robinson,  Pottowatomie  chief  known  as  Chee-Chu-Pin-Quay 
or  Che-Chee-Bing-Way,  he  safely  conducted  John  Kinzie  and 
the  half  dozen  survivors  of  the  massacre  to  the  fort  at  St.  Joseph, 
Mich. 

Later  he  lived  for  years  just  north  of  the  village  at  what 
is  now  State  street  and  Chicago  avenue  in  a  house  built  for  him 
by  the  government.  In  addition  to  the  land  he  was  given  an 
annuity  of  $400  and  by  the  treaty  of  1833  he  was  awarded 
$10,000,  an  amount  that  the  United  States  Senate  cut  in  half. 

He  was  popular  with  the  settlers,  saving  them  from  many 
Indian  attacks,  and  at  one  time  was  one  of  the  city's  accredited 
justices  of  the  peace  though  he  never  became  a  citizen.  In 
1836  he  left  with  his  people  for  Council  Bluffs,  accomplishing 
the  Indian  removal  in  which  laws  and  soldiers  had  failed. 

Sauganash  Hotel,  the  first  institution  of  its  kind  in  Chicago, 
was  named  for  this  Indian  but  it  has  been  nothing  but  a  memory 
for  many  years.  Practically  the  only  hope  of  preserving  the 
names  of  these  noteworthy  Redskins  rests  in  the  Caldwell  and 
Robinson  reservations  now  a  part  of  the  preserves. 

Caldwell's  reser- 
vation was  that  pic- 
turesque stretch  of 
timberland  on  the 
Chicago  River  be- 
tween Bryn  Mawr 
and  Kenilworth  ave- 
nues, the  boundaries 
being  fixed  under  the 
original  grant  nrade 
by  President  Tyler 
Dec.  28,  1843. 

The     Robinson 


22 


THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


DESPLAINES  RIVER,  SOUTH  FROM  ALLISON  BRIDGE. 


ground  lies  on  both  sides  of  the  Desplaines  between  Addison  and 
Foster  avenues.  The  old  Indian  chief  lived  here  until  his  death 
in  1872,  at  which  time  he  was  generally  reputed  to  be  anywhere 
from  85  to  110  years  of  age.  He  was  a  citizen,  voter  and  tax- 
payer of  Chicago. 

But  like  Caldwell,  Robinson's  best  claim  on  the  white  man's 
friendship  came  through  his  efforts  in  their  behalf  at  the  time 
of  the  bloody  massacre.  He  had  the  distinction  of  having  been 
married  to  the  squaw  of  his  choice  by  Justice  of  the  Peace  Kinzie. 

Then  at  the  time  the  Chicago  colony  was  threatened  with 
extinction  by  the  Indian  uprising  known  as  the  Winnebago 
wars,  Robinson  saved  the  day  by  a  soul-stirring  plea  that  kept 
th£  Pottowatomies  from  joining  with  the  Sauks  in  an  attack 
that  would  have  been  fatal. 

It  was  largely  through  the  efforts  of  these  two  Indian 
leaders  that  the  St.  Louis  treaty  under  which  Cook  County  be- 
came part  of  the  United  States,  August  1816,  by  the  establish- 
ment of  the  famous  Indian  Boundary  Lines.  Here  are  the 
treaty  words  defining  the  white  man's  territory: 

"Beginning  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Fox  River  of  Illinois 
ten  miles  above  the  mouth  of  said  Fox  River;  thence  running 
so  as  to  cross  Sandy  Creek,  ten  miles  above  its  mouth ;  thence 
in  a  direct  line  to  a  point  ten  miles  north  of  the  west  end  of 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS  23 

the  portage  between  Chicago  Creek  which  empties  into  Lake 
Michigan,  and  the  River  Depleine,  a  fork  of  the  Illinois;  thence 
in  a  direct  line  to  a  point  on  Lake  Michigan,  ten  miles  north- 
ward of  the  mouth  of  Chicago  Creek;  thence  along  the  lake 
to  a  point  ten  miles  southward  of  the  mouth  of  the  said  Chi- 
cago Creek ;  thence  in  a  direct  line  to  a  point  on  the  Kankakee, 
ten  miles  above  its  mouth ;  thence  with  the  said  Kankakee  and 
the  Illinois  River  to  the  mouth  of  the  Fox  River  and  thence  to 
the  beginning." 


CANOEING  ON  LAKE  REINBERG. 


The  old  Indian  trails — many  of  which  have  developed  into 
highways  for  modern  traffic  and  under  the  "good  roads"  cam- 
paign instituted  by  the  county  commissioners  have  blossomed 
forth  as  splendid  boulevards — furnish  a  perfect  network  of 
communications  between  the  different  forest  preserves. 

No  surveyor  or  engineer  of  today  could  anticipate  the  needs 
of  two  generations  to  come  as  did  those  uncivilized  Indians 
more  than  a  century  ago  when  they  ''beat  the  path"  for  the 
modern  highways  of  today.  For  instance  there  is  the  heavily 
travelled  Green  Bay  Road  which  has  sprung  from  the  red  men's 
Green  Bay  trail. 


24 


THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


Every  one  of  these  old  trails,  running  north,  northwest, 
west,  southwest  and  south  and  reaching  all  points  where  In- 
dians found  chance  for  trade,  has  left  some  marks  in  the  pres- 
ent day  preserves  as  will  be  noted  in  the  plat  presented  else- 
where in  this  publication  showing  location  of  all  trails,  villages, 
etc.,  with  reference  to  the  preserves. 

Happily  the  close-to-fifteen  thousand  acres  of  forest  land, 
now  constituting  the  preserve  district,  represent  all  that  is  choice 
in  the  Cook  County  ground  so  dear  to  the  modern  citizenship 
for  its  Indian  associations. 

By  some  good  turn  of  fate  it  is  the  historically  famous 
tract  in  almost  every  locality  that  was  preserved  all  these  years 
awaiting  the  inevitable  government  action  that  has  taken  form 
in  the  creation  of  the  district.  Landscape  value  has  probably 
been  the  secret  of  our  good  fortune. 

Strange  as  it  may  seem  to  the  citizens  of  Cook  County 
wont  to  read  of  natural  splendors  from  afar  and  so  admire 
them,  no  where  in  the  world  can  be  found  scenery  that  can 


CONCRETE  ROAD  LEADING  TO  PRESERVE. 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS 


25 


THE  REAL  ESTATE  COMMITTEE  ON  A  TOUR  OF  INVESTIGATION. 


be  compared,  in  many  respects,  to  landscapes  right  here  at  your 
doorstep. 

And  peculiar  as  it  may  seem  to  us  with  whom  thoughts 
of  explorations  carry  us  back  centuries,  there  are  acres  upon 
acres  of  the  wildest  sort  of  territory  within  the  county's  pre- 
serves that  have  probably  never  been  explored — a  veritable  ad- 
venturer's paradise. 

For  the  admirer  of  natural  scenic  effects  there  are  weeks 
and  weeks  of  thrills  ahead  just  in  visits  to  territory  within  their 
own  county.  Both  historically  and  geologically  the  Cook  County 
Forest  Preserve  Districts  constitute  a  national  attraction  yet  to 
be  recognized  locally. 

One  might  well  spend  weeks  along  the  Desplaines  River 
in  that  stretch  of  2,500  acres  extending  twenty  miles  from  Madi- 
son street  north  to  the  county  line — a  valley  so  loved  by  Indians 
that  many  preferred  to  die  there  rather  than  yield  to  the  palefaces. 

That  is  the  same  river  valley  which  Joliet  and  Marquette 
styled  the  "realm  of  beautiful  country"  back  in  1673.  It  was 
always  the  favorite  abode  of  the  Red  Men.  Every  turn  in  the 
beloved  stream  had  its  village;  every  promontory  its  fort  for 
the  purpose  of  defending  the  home  against  invaders. 


26 


THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


<• 


o  < 


*  B 
<  w 
PQ  w 


«  s 

So 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS  27 

And  the  same  is  true  of  the  Salt  Creek  valley,  extending 
west  of  Riverside  to  the  county  line,  another  Indian  paradise — 
684  acres  which  men  competent  to  judge  on  rugged  natural  fores- 
try admit  have  no  superior  anywhere  in  the  country. 

Great  forests  of  oaks  and  maples  and  hickory  and  elm,  in- 
habited by  every  known  specie  of  animal  and  bird  life — those 
extinct  are  being  revived — and  carpeted  with  a  variety  of  flowers 
and  fauna  worthy  of  a  horticulturist's  dream,  are  found  here. 

Northernly — all  Preserves  are  connected  with  the  splendid 
concrete  roads  and  easily  accessible  by  the  maze  of  railway  lines 
as  shown  in  the  complete  guide  and  route  map  appearing  in  this 
book — there  are  the  two  famous  groves  for  which  townships 
are  named — Elk  Grove  and  Palatine  Deer  Grove. 

These  with  the  Desplaines  and  Chicago  Rivers  tracts,  the 
old  Turnbull  Woods  and  Big  Woods  or  Evanston  Woods  on 
the  Green  Bay  Trail  and  the  Schaumburg  reservation  consti- 
tute the  system  for  the  north  of  the  County,  all  of  which  will 
be  described  in  detail  later. 

In  the  south  a  system  just  as  attractive  has  been  established 
with  the  acquisition  of  Palos  Hills,  the  Willow  Springs  wood- 
land where  canal  boat  drivers  on  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  canal 
stopped  to  fill  their  water  barrels,  the  Chicago  Heights  tract,  a 
thousand  acres  of  incomparable  scenery,  the  Homewood,  Little 
Calumet  and  Beverly  Hills. 

Beverly  Hills  alone,  at  87th  street  and  Western  Avenue, 
with  that  massive  rock  formation  standing  close  to  100  feet  high, 
rivalling  the  far-famed  Starved  Rock  on  which  Indians  died 
by  the  hundreds,  constitute  an  attraction  worth  travelling  miles 
to  see. 

This  Beverly  Hills  peak  was  an  important  point  in  the 
days  of  Indian  wars.  It  was  the  chief  signal  tower  from  which 
the  orders  went  out  mobilizing  the  redskinned  warriors  from 
villages  for  miles  around  in  case  of  emergency. 

Then  directly  west  of  the  City  of  Chicago  there  is  the  beau- 
tiful Thatcher's  woods,  which  including  the  Steele  tract,  has 
long  been  known  to  the  city's  and  county's  recreation  seekers  as 
we  hope  will  soon  be  the  case  with  every  inch  of  the  woodland 
in  the  district's  13,000  and  more  acres  of  today. 

Wherever  possible  the  preserve  commissioners  have  striven 
to  develop  this  great  natural  park  system  for  the  convenience 
of  the  public.  Artificial  improvements,  such  as  the  construction 
of  the  "wonder  lake"  in  the  Palatine  tract,  have  been  made  and 
will  be  made  wherever  possible. 


28  THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


Shelter  houses  and  refuges  are  rapidly  springing  into  exist- 
ence in  each  tract.  Topographical  maps  have  been  made  to  blaze 
the  trail  to  every  point  of  interest — trails  that  are  being  marked 
for  the  guidance  of  all.  Road  development — on  which  you  will 
hear  more  later — is  being  directed  to  fit  into  the  preserve  system. 

In  line  with  the  present  national  endeavor — winning  the 
war — the  board  has  diverted  no  land  previously  dedicated  to  the 
production  of  food.  In  fact  the  board's  influence  has  been  given 
to  extension  of  such  plans  wherever  district  lands  were  in- 
volved. 

Then  in  addition  to  the  scheme  for  propagation  of  wild 
animal  and  bird  life  on  the  preserves,  the  board  has  seen  the 
opportunity  to  enter  into  the  national  spirit  by  establishment  of 
sheep  grazes  as  will  be  noted  in  later  detail  on  the  different 
tracts. 

In  the  development  of  the  Forest  Preserve  District  the 
president  and  members  of  the  board  of  commissioners  are  actuated 
only  by  the  desire  to  carry  out  the  law  creating  the  district  in 
such  a  way  as  to  operate  to  the  best  interests  of  the  public. 

Each  and  every  citizen  of  Cook  County  is  a  partner  in  this 
project — the  greatest  thing  of  its  kind  as  may  be  seen  if  time 
is  taken  to  read  through  this  first  Forest  Preserve  year  book. 
And  the  one  thing  that  is  going  to  make  it  still  greater  is  wide- 
spread public  interest  which  we  feel  is  coming  once  the  public 
is  advised. 

It  is  for  that  purpose  we  are  issuing  this  book.  It  is  our 
hope  that  you  will  find  in  it  an  adequate  introduction  to  your 
Forest  Preserve  District  which,  as  we  have  said  before,  is  des- 
tined to  become  the  world's  greatest  park  system  of  natural 
forest  land. 


FOREST  PRESERVE  DISTRICT  OF  COOK  COUNTY. 

PETER  REINBERG,  DANIEL  MORIARTY 

President  ALBERT  NOWAK 

HARTLEY  BURG  OWEN  O'MALLEY 

WILLIAM  BUSSE  DUDLEY  D.  PIERSON 

JOSEPH  CAROLAN  FRANK  RAGEN 

JOSEPH  M.  FITZGERALD  PETER  REINBERG 

THOMAS  KASPERSKI  DANIEL  RYAN 

WILLIAM  H.  MACLEAN  WILLIAM  D.  SCOTT 
GEORGE  A.  MILLER  Commissioners 


Personnel 

Forest  Preserve  Commissioners 


30 


THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS  31 


PETER  REINBERG 

PRESIDENT  OF  THE  FOREST  PRESERVE  DISTRICT  OF  COOK  COUNTY 

By  election  as  President  of  the  Board  of  Commissioners 
of  Cook  County  in  1914  Peter  Reinberg  was  put  into  a  posi- 
tion where  he  automatically  became  the  first  President  of  the 
Forest  Preserve  District  when  the  law  creating  the  district  went 
into  effect.  The  boundaries  of  the  County  and  the  District  are 
co-extensive  and  under  the  law  the  county  commissioners  act  as 
the  district  commissioners  without  additional  compensation. 

Had  the  voters'  discrimination  been  utilized  specifically 
in  the  selection  of  the  first  president  of  the  district  a  happier 
choice  could  not  have  been  made.  Mr.  Reinberg,  a  man  who 
has  made  flower  culture  and  horticulture  his  life  business, 
was  peculiarly  fitted  for  the  post  of  chief  executive  in  the 
upbuilding  of  this  great  governmental  structure  with  forest 
preservation  as  its  paramount  aim. 

Furthermore  Mr.  Reinberg  stepped  into  the  office  with 
wide  experience  in  the  fulfillment  of  public  trust  and  manage- 
ment of  public  affairs.  His  years  as  Alderman  from  the 
Twenty  Sixth  Ward,  most  of  which  were  spent  in  that  most 
laborious,  most  trying  and  most  important  council  berth, 
the  chairman  of  the  Local  Transportation  committee,  had 
well  equipped  him  for  this  even  bigger  task. 

In  addition  he  was  for  three  years  the  directing  head  of 
the  City  of  Chicago's  mammoth  public  school  system,  another 
spot  where  executive  genius  is  indispensable. 

As  President  of  the  District  Mr.  Reinberg  has  assumed 
the  duties  of  chairman  of  the  Plan  committee,  a  real  force  in 
the  district  organization,  and  has  acted  as  member  ex-officio 
of  all  standing  and  special  committees. 


32  THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 

HARTLEY  BURG 

FOREST  PRESERVE  COMMISSIONER 

In  Bartley  Burg  the  district  fell  heir  to  a  tried  and  sea- 
soned veteran  in  the  management  of  public  affairs.  He  had 
for  years  represented  the  great  West  Side  of  the  City  of  Chi- 
cago on  the  county  board  and  his  training  fitted  him  admirably 
for  the  important  part  he  played  in  the  establishment  of  the 
district.  Commissioner  Burg  is  chairman  of  the  highly  im- 
portant Committee  on  Forestry  and  Improvements  and  is  a 
member  of  the  Rules  and  Judiciary  committees. 

WILLIAM  BUSSE 

FOREST  PRESERVE  COMMISSIONER 

With  Commissioner  Busse  the  creation  of  the  district 
brought  the  second  man  of  experience  as  head  of  the  county 
governmental  system  to  its  directorate.  He  is  a  country  town 
commissioner  who  was  president  of  the  county  board  from 
1907  to  1910.  He  held  that  position  at  the  time  the  present 
Cook  County  Courthouse  was  erected,  a  monument  to  his 
executive  genius.  His  acquaintance  with  the  country  dis- 
tricts has  been  invaluable  to  the  Real  Estate,  Plan,  Deposi- 
taries and  Forestry  and  Improvements  committees  on  which 
he  has  served. 

JOSEPH  CAROLAN 
FOREST  PRESERVE  COMMISSIONER 

Commissioner  Carolan  is  another  country  commissioner 
whose  long  service  as  such  commissioner  and  ability  in  the  promo- 
tion and  management  of  public  affairs  has  made  itself  felt  in  the 
development  of  the  county's  chain  of  forest  preserves.  As  chair- 
man of  the  Committee  on  Requisition  and  Supplies  his  energy  has 
been  one  of  the  principal  arteries  on  which  the  district  has  fed 
and  has  grown.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Finance  and  Rules 
committees. 

JOSEPH  M.  FITZGERALD 
FOREST  PRESERVE  COMMISSIONER 

Commissioner  Fitzgerald  as  the  representative  of  the 
city's  Stock  Yards  district  on  the  county  board,  assumed  the 
duties  of  forest  preserve  commissioner  with  an  appreciation 
of  the  district's  possibilities  that  is  reflected  in  many  of  the 
recreational  features  of  the  preserves  today.  He  has  always 
been  a  strong  advocate  of  the  District  as  the  world's  greatest 
system  of  public  parks  in  which  the  pentup  city  dwellers  may 
find  health  and  recreation.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Finance 
and  Forestry  and  Improvements  committees. 


OF  COOK  COUNTY.  ILLINOIS 


33 


Forest  Preserve  Commissioners 
$/Cook  County, 


34  THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 

THOMAS  KASPERSKI 

FOREST  PRESERVE  COMMISSIONER 

Commissioner  Kasperski,  on  the  county  board  as  a  repre- 
sentative of  the  City  of  Chicago's  great  colony  of  Americans 
of  Polish  descent,  has  been  a  close  student  of  the  forestry 
problems  which  will  some  day  be  met  in  a  history-making 
fashion  by  the  Forest  Preserve  District  of  Cook  County.  As 
a  member  of  the  Forestry  committee  he  has  been  able  to  sur- 
vey the  situation  with  the  view  to  formulation  of  the  "big- 
ger forestry  plan"  that  will  ultimately  be  launched.  He  is  also 
a  member  of  the  committees  on  Real  Estate  and  Requisition 
and  Supplies. 

WILLIAM  H.  MACLEAN 
FOREST  PRESERVE  COMMISSIONER 

In  Commissioner  Maclean  the  District  has  a  director  with 
legal  training  and  in  the  perilous  pioneer  days  of  the  organiza- 
tion he  was  a  mainstay.  His  experience  gained  in  the  Illinois 
legislature  as  representative  and  senator  in  which  he  served  on 
the  Judiciary  Committees,  has  been  recognized  in  his  appoint- 
ment to  the  chairmanship  of  the  Committee  on  Judiciary  which 
led  the  district  through  unexplored  realms  as  far  as  law  and 
precedents  were  concerned. 

GEORGE  A.  MILLER 

FOREST  PRESERVE  COMMISSIONER 

Another  legally  trained  mind  was  put  into  the  director- 
ate of  the  district  in  the  person  of  Commissioner  Miller.  As 
such  his  genius  and  energy  have  been  utilized  to  the  utmost 
on  the  Real  Estate  and  Plan  Committees,  the  real  trail-blazers 
in  the  formation  of  the  preserve  districts.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  first  park  board  for  the  Park  District  of  Oak  Park, 
and  had  served  two  terms  in  the  legislature  and  at  the  time 
when  the  Forest  Preserve  Law  was  passed.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  district  committee  on  Depositaries. 

DANIEL  MORIARTY 

FOREST  PRESERVE  COMMISSIONER 

Commissioner  Moriarty  came  onto  the  District  Board 
with  a  long  record  as  member  of  the  County  Board  in  addi- 
tion to  a  military  record  gained  as  Colonel  of  the- "Fighting 
Seventh",  the  National  Guard  organization  that  was  the  pride 
of  the  county.  He  has  been  an  important  factor  in  the  up- 
building of  the  forest  preserve  chain,  serving  upon  the  Real 
Estate  committee  and  the  Judiciary  committee.  He  was  a 
Democratic  candidate  for  president  of  the  county  board  in 
1914. 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS 


35 


Forest  Preserve  Commissioners 
a/Cook  County, 


36  THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 

ALBERT  NOWAK 

FOREST  PRESERVE  COMMISSIONER 

Commissioner  Nowak  is  one  of  the  younger  members 
of  the  county  board  who  have  exhibited  a  wonderful  adapta- 
bility to  the  work  in  behalf  of  the  public.  In  the  administra- 
tion of  the  affairs  of  the  Forest  Preserve  District  he  has  found 
the  same  opportunity  for  unselfish  service  and  untiring  efforts 
in  the  public  interest.  He  is  chairman  of  the  Committee  on 
Rules  which  had  the  task  of  formulating  a  procedure  for  the 
District  in  the  early  years.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  com- 
mittees on  finance  and  requisition  and  supplies. 

OWEN  O'MALLEY 

FOREST  PRESERVE  COMMISSIONER 

As  one  of  the  active  proponents  of  good  roads  Commis- 
sioner O'Malley  has  given  invaluable  service  in  the  district 
development  which  is  so  closely  related  to  the  county's  sys- 
tem of  improved  highways.  In  the  chairmanship  of  the  Real 
Estate  committee  he  was  charged  with  responsibility  for  the 
most  important  phase  of  the  district  activities,  namely  the 
purchase  of  lands.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  equally  im- 
portant Plan  committee  and  he  serves  on  the  Finance  and 
Requisition  committees. 

DUDLEY  D.  PIERSON 

FOREST  PRESERVE  COMMISSIONER 

Commissioner  Pierson,  representing  the  southwest  section 
of  Cook  County  where  some  of  the  choicest  tracts  were  ac- 
quired as  preserves,  was  possessed  of  a  knowledge  by  which 
the  District  profited  extensively  in  the  official  discussion  of 
purchase  terms.  By  reason  of  that  fact  his  services  have  been 
and  are  especially  valuable  to  Chairman  Ryan  and  his  fel- 
low members  of  the  Finance  committee.  He  is  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  committees  on  Rules  and  Requisition. 

FRANK  RAGEN 

FOREST  PRESERVE  COMMISSIONER 

Commissioner  Ragen  came  onto  the  Forest  Preserve 
board  with  six  years  experience  as  a  member  of  the  county 
board.  He  was  first  elected  to  the  board  in  1912.  In  1914 
he  was  a  candidate  for  the  Democratic  nomination  for  Presi- 
dent of  the  board  and  he  was  nominated  and  elected  as  com- 
missioner. In  1918  he  was  an  unsuccessful  candidate  for 
President  and  commissioner.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the 
Forest  Preserve  board  committees  on  Rules  and  Judiciary. 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS 


37 


Forest  Preserve  Commissioners 
a/Cook  County, 


\WilliamD.6cott\ 


38  THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


DANIEL  RYAN 

FOREST  PRESERVE  COMMISSIONER 

Commissioner  Ryan,  by  virtue  of  his  years  of  experience 
as  county  finance  chairman  was  able  to  take  up  the  financial 
reins  of  the  district  in  a  manner  possible  under  no  other  cir- 
cumstances. As  chairman  of  the  District  finance  committee 
he  has  instituted  a  budget  system  that  has  meant  thousands 
upon  thousands  of  dollars  to  the  taxpaying  public.  Likewise 
as  chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Depositaries  he  has  been 
always  on  guard  of  the  public  interest.  He  is  also  a  member 
of  the  committees  on  Real  Estate,  Plan  and  Forestry  and 
Improvement. 


WILLIAM  D.  SCOTT 

FOREST  PRESERVE  COMMISSIONER 

Commissioner  Scott  was  serving  his  first  term  as  county 
commissioner  when  the  creation  of  the  Forest  Preserve  Dis- 
trict made  him  a  member  of  that  board  also.  He  was  elected 
to  the  county  board  in  1914  and  in  1918  he  was  an  unsuccessful 
candidate  for  re-election.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Forest 
Preserve  board  committees  on  Judiciary  Rules  and  Requisi- 
tions and  Supplies. 


Citizen    Members 
of  Plan  Committee 


40  THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


CHARLES  H.  WACKER 

Mr.  Wacker,  as  president  of  the  Chicago  Plan  Commis- 
sion, came  onto  the  Forest  Preserve  Plan  Committee  with 
years  'of  experience  in  city  planning,  a  movement  that  neces- 
sarily dovetails  with  the  establishment  of  an  outer  park  belt. 

As  the  Chicago  Plan  Commission  head  Mr.  Wacker  has 
guided  the  City  of  Chicago  up  to  realization  on  two  of  the 
greatest  improvement  projects  any  city  has  ever  undertaken, 
the  Twelfth  Street  widening  and  the  Michigan  Avenue  ex- 
tension. 

With  the  help  of  Mr.  Wacker  the  Plan  Committee  has 
been  able  to  lay  out  Cook  County's  Forest  Preserve  District 
in  a  manner  that  will  some  day  make  possible  the  Greater 
Cook  County  playground  system,  including  the  combined 
recreational  features  of  the  City  of  Chicago  and  Cook  County. 


WILLIAM  A.  PETERSON 

Mr.  Peterson  has  a  thorough  technical  knowledge  of 
horticulture  and  one  of  his  chief  treasures  is  a  library  of  some 
4,000  volumes,  including  old  manuscripts  and  rare  first  editions 
in  English,  Latin,  French,  German  and  the  Scandinavian 
languages. 

To  his  booklore  he  has  supplemented  extensive  travels, 
gaining  a  familiarity  with  the  best  examples  of  European  land- 
scape art  through  visits  to  the  court  gardens  at  Potsdam  and 
St.  Petersburg  that  were,  where  the  men  in  charge  were  old 
associates  of  his  father  in  the  early  days  at  Louis  Van  Houtte's 
at  Ghent. 

Possibly  Mr.  Peterson's  work  with  the  peony  has  con- 
tributed as  much  as  any  one  thing  to  his  reputation  for  horti- 
cultural erudition.  Possessed  of  abundant  means  Mr.  Peterson 
has  acquired  a  large  museum  of  Indian  and  other  relics,  his 
arrow  heads  being  one  of  the  most  complete  collections  in 
the  country,  many  of  them  picked  up  on  the  nursery  grounds 
which  were  the  site  of  an  old  Indian  village. 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS 


41 


Citizen   Members 


42  THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


JOHN  C.  VAUGHAN 

Mr.  Vaughan  has  been  engaged  in  the  seed  business  in 
Chicago  since  1876  and  like  other  citizen  members  of  the  Plan 
committee  he  was  one  of  the  little  band  of  public  spirited 
citizens  who  have  shown  a  fatherly  spirit  towards  the  Forest 
Preserve  idea  since  its  conception. 

He  is  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  came  to  Chicago  when 
a  youngster.  He  graduated  from  the  old  Chicago  Central 
High  School  in  1872  and  later  studied  at  the  Hillside  College 
in  Michigan. 

He  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  Illinois  State  Board  of 
Agriculture  and  as  a  member  of  the  Illinois  State  Art  Com- 
mission, having  charge  of  the  production  of  the  Lincoln  statue 
for  the  centennial. 


DWIGHT  H.  PERKINS 

Mr.  Perkins  has  lived  in  Chicago  all  his  life  and  as  an 
architect  he  has  felt  that  his  city  and  its  environs  should  be 
planned  in  the  same  orderly  manner  that  is  followed  in  de- 
signing a  good  house.  He  has  felt  especially  that  provision 
should  be  made  for  children — that  the  requisite  conditions 
for  their  development  into  useful  and  happy  men  and  women, 
should  be  established  and  that  those  conditions  included  not 
only  the  best  schools  but  playgrounds,  fields  and  forest  as 
well.  And  further  that  they  should  be  distributed  as  near 
uniformly  as  possible  and  that  they  were  quite  as  desirable, 
even  necessary,  for  adults  as  for  children. 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS 


43 


PARTLY  OBLITERATED  INDIAN  TRAIL   (£LK  GROVE.) 


44 


THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


A  PATRIARCH  OF  THE  WOODS. 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS 


45 


The  Forest  Preserves 

Their  Present  and  Future 


BY  PETER  REINBERG 

PRESIDENT  OF  THE  BOARD  OF  FOREST  PRESERVE  COMMISSIONERS 
OF  COOK  COUNTY 

Cook  County's  Forest  Preserve  tracts,  over  13,000  acres 
which  have  been  acquired  and  developed  at  a  cost  less  than 
$5,000,000  in  two  years'  time,  form  a  perfect  chain  of  woodland 
about  the  great  city  of  Chicago.  One  day  they  will  constitute 
a  world  marvel  as  a  public  park  system  as  well  as  the  economic 
life-belt  of  the  community. 

In  the  acquisition  of  the  county's  available  timberland  the 
board  of  commissioners  has  had  that  very  thing  in  view  along 
with  the  general  scheme  of  perpetuating  the  community's  few 
remaining  specimen  of  primitive  rugged  forest  land  for  develop- 
ment into  Cook  County's  "greater  forest." 


46 


THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


At  the  same  time,  the  board  of  county  commissioners  and 
the  board  of  forest  preserve  commissioners  fortunately  being 
one  and  the  same,  the  county's  unequalled  system  of  concrete 
highways  has  been  laid  out  with  a  double  purpose.  These  high- 
ways are  being  built  with  an  eye  on  the  "greater  forest"  idea. 


JUNCTION  OF  RAND  AXO  BALLARD  ROADS,  SENNE  WOODS  IN 
BACKGROUND. 


It  has  been  possible  for  the  board  to  construct  these  won- 
derful "country  boulevards"  to  meet  all  the  demands  of  economic 
development  of  the  county  and  to  serve  as  connecting  links  for 
this  world's  greatest  chain  of  public  playgrounds.  On  the  suc- 
cess of  that  we  want  you  to  judge. 

No  wild  stretch  of  imagination  need  be  employed  to  visualize 
the  Forest  Preserve  District  of  a  few  years  from  now  when 
each  picturesque  tract  will  be  brought  to  every  citizen's  door  by 
a  network  of  automobile  bus  lines  operating  on  these  perfect 
highways.  In  fact  such  a  development  is  in  a  measure  already 
here. 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS 


47 


At  the  present  time  a  "Chicago  Line"  that  will  carry  recrea- 
tion seekers  for  twenty  miles  along  the  forest-fringed  Desplaines 
River — Cook  County's  Indian  Day  center  of  population — is  being 
planned.  District  ownership  of  such  lines  is  a  part  of  the  general 
scheme  for  future  development  as  conceived  by  your  commis- 
sioners. 

In  the  same  way  enterprising  automobile  owners  in  such 
towns  as  Willow  Springs,  awakening  to  the  popularity  of  nearby 
woodlands,  are  meeting  the  demand  for  short-haul  transporta- 
tion. They  meet  practically  all  railroad  trains  picking  up  recrea- 
tion seekers  for  delivery  in  the  midst  of  the  far-famed  Palos 
Hills. 

For  the  camper  and  seeker  of  health,  rest  and  recreation 
the  Forest  Preserves  present  unrivalled  opportunities  for  out- 
door life  and  enjoyment.  Within  a  few  years  the  reputation  of 
the  Preserves  will  be  such  that  100,000  visitors  on  a  pleasant 
Sunday  will  be  nothing  unusual. 

The  popularity  of  these  great  natural  playgrounds  has  al- 
ready been  demonstrated  in  a  small  way  by  the  hundreds  of 
thousands  that  have  visited  the  tracts  each  year  even  before  they 
were  acquired,  consolidated  and  developed  in  accordance  with 
the  "great  forest"  plan. 


TYPE  OF  ROADS  CONNECTING  PRESERVES. 


48 


THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS 


49 


Roads  and  trails,  many  of  which  were  first  opened  genera- 
tions ago  by  the  tread  of  moccasined  feet,  run  in  every  con- 
ceivable direction  in  all  tracts.  Traced  and  marked  by  signs  by 
the  district's  forest  rangers,  these  trails  make  the  forest  as  acces- 
sible to  you  as  they  were  to  the  Indians. 


CAMPERS  IN  THATCHER'S  WOODS. 


In  each  preserve  there  are  innumerable  secluded  spots  along 
the  banks  of  streams  and  at  the  edge  of  lakes  where  camps  may 
be  pitched,  a  privilege  free  to  all  though  prospective  campers 
are  required  to  notify  caretakers  of  their  plans. 

Topographical  maps  of  the  forests  will  enable  visitors  to 
select  just  the  type  of  forest  they  are  seeking.  By  the  use  of 
those  guides  one  can  find  beautiful  tracts  of  hardwood  slope 
forest,  the  jagged  gully  woodland  or  the  stately  forestry  flats. 

At  the  same  time  a  perfect  index  to  animal  life  and  wild 
flower  growth  is  available.  By  a  simple  reference  you  can  estab- 
lish the  exact  character,  down  to  every  possible  detail,  of  each 
one  of  the  more  than  13,000  acres  at  present  constituting  the 
county  preserves. 

In  the  same  way  the  course  of  streams  and  the  location  of 
lakes,  both  of  which  abound  in  the  district,  is  laid  before  you. 
And  with  all  there  are  mapped  out  the  splendid  concrete  high- 
ways that  lead  you  to  the  edge  of  the  preserves  and  the  pic- 
turesque trails  that  carry  to  the  scenic  interior. 


THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


PICNIC  PARTY  ON  PRESERVE  GROUNDS. 

Looking  toward  convenience  of  the  public  in  enjoyment  of 
these  outdoor  splendors  we  have  endeavored  to  make  in  each 
of  the  preserves  all  the  improvements  possible  without  encroach- 
ing upon  the  handiwork  of  nature  herself.  Much  has  been 
accomplished  along  this  line. 

In  the  first  place  practically  all  the  tracts  so  far  acquired 
have  included  what  had  previously  been  popular  picnic  groves. 
It  is  at  these  spots  that  the  board  has  found  the  opportunity  for 
erection  of  shelters,  comfort  stations  and  the  like. 

These  features  likewise  are  easily  accessible  to  the  visiting 
public  in  the  wildest  tracts  by  virtue  of  the  guide  maps  which 
keep  pace  with  the  construction  of  the  shelters,  the  picnic 
pavilions,  the  comfort  stations  and  the  dance  pavilions. 


"AND  OAKS  IN  DEEPER  GROANS  REPLY  TO  MURMUR  DIRGES  AROUND 
His  GRAVE." 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS 


51 


How  well  these  facilities  are  appreciated  by  the  public  has 
been  shown  by  the  number  of  visitors  that  flock  into  the  preserves 
on  Sundays  and  holidays  though  the  district  has  been  opened 
to  the  public  less  than  two  years.  Already  hundreds  of  thou- 
sands have  made  their  pilgrimages  to  Cook  County's  forest  land 
and  week  days  also  see  the  streams  of  exploring  parties  and 
family  groups  coming  from  the  city  and  country  seeking  rest 
and  recreation. 

And  what  is  it  that  constitutes  the  chief  attraction  for  visi- 
tors ?  It  is  the  forest  land  to  be  found  in  its  primitive  state  with 
all  its  wild,  natural,  rugged  beauty,  with  its  wild  flowers  and 
other  growth,  with  its  birds  and  with  its  animals. 


BOY  SCOUTS  CAMPING  ON   PRESERVE. 


With  city-folk,  particularly — fed  up  as  they  are  on  city 
parks  with  their  transplanted  trees,  their  cultivated  plants,  closely 
mown-lawns,  all  man-made  scenery  deadly  for  its  sameness — 
the  natural  forest  with  its  ravines,  streams,  and  hills  is  an  un- 
deniable lure. 

However  it  is  a  novelty  that  never  wears  out  because  be- 
neath all  that  is  the  study  that  grips  everyone — Nature.  Then 
there  are  the  historical  associations  which  give  almost  every 
tree,  rock  and  stream  its  part  in  state  and  national  history — 
our  only  connections  with  antiquity  aside  from  written  words 
and  a  few  relics. 


52 


THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


FAMILY  RECREATION  BENEATH  ELMS   (NORTHWESTERN  PARK). 

As  the  Chicago  Historical  Society  has  written  it  will  be 
a  sad  day  indeed  if  the  time  comes  that  one  must  reply  that 
the  old  Indian  trails  were  obliterated  long  ago  and  real  estate 
subdivisions  have  preempted  the  sites  of  our  old  Indian  villages. 

"Possibly  there  are  some  thousands  of  people  in  Chicago 
and  Cook  County  to  whom  the  knowledge  has  never  come  that 
once  on  a  time  all  Indian  trails  hereabout  focused  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Chicago  River  and  that  today  it  is  possible  to  follow  those 
trails  through  the  very  heart  of  our  city. 


GIRLS'  CAMP  (NORTHWESTERN  PARK). 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS 


"Even  those  who  know  that  North  Clark  street  is  the  Green 
Bay  Trail  and  Lincoln  Avenue  the  trail  leading  to  the  Little 
Fort  (Waukegan)  do  not  know  the  vestiges  of  the  aboriginal 
occupants  are  to  be  found  today  not  far  from  these  ancient 
thoroughfares  and  that  monuments  of  the  Mound  Builders  have 
not  quite  disappeared  from  the  neighboring  countryside. 

At  the  present  moment  the  forest  tract  beginning  at  the 
borders  of  the  Lake  in  the  Skokie  region  and  continuing  west- 
ward to  the  Desplaines  River  southward  to  Palos  Park  and 
eastward  to  Lake  Calumet  and  the  Sand  Dunes  is  in  its  primi- 
tive state.  Coinciding  with  this  region  of  natural  beauty  are 
works  of  the  Mound  Builders,  trails  village  sites  and  reserva- 
tions granted  to  individual  Indians  for  services  rendered  to  the 
government. 


CARPET  OF  WILD  FLOWERS   (THATCHER  PARK). 

By  that  it  can  be  seen  what  an  important  role  the  Forest 
Preserve  District  has  taken  from  the  historical  aspect.  It  is 
our  intention  that  preserves  shall  be  named  for  the  historical 
significance  attached  to  the  land  and  that  all  points  of  historical 
interest  shall  be  marked  by  a  monument  of  some  kind. 

And  still  we  have  not  touched  on  what  is  considered  by 
many  the  most  important  function  of  forest  preservation,  a 


54 


THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS  55 


phase  that  seldom  occurs  to  the  citizen  looking  only  towards 
the  recreational  possibilities  of  forest  land.  That  is  the  real 
object  of  a  forest  in  the  economy  of  mankind. 

Most  people  would  nod  affirmatively  were  they  asked  if 
they  knew  what  a  forest  is,  yet  they  would  find  it  more  difficult 
to  give  a  definition  of  it.  The  name  forest,  derived  from  the 
Latin  foris,  means  out-of-doors  yet  that  could  hardly  be  accepted 
as  a  definition  applying  to  all  cases. 

Manwood  defined  a  forest  as  a  "certain  territory  of  wooded 
grounds,  fruitful  pastures,  privileged  for  wild  beasts  and  fowls 
of  forest,  chase  and  warren,  to  rest  and  abide  in,  in  the  safe  pro- 
tection of  the  king  for  his  princely  delight  and  pleasure." 

However  with  the  modern-day  economic  aspect  of  forests 
that  primitive  definition  has  given  way  until  the  forest  may  now 
in  a  general  way  be  described  as  an  area  which  is  for  the  most 
part  set  aside  for  the  production  of  timber  and  other  forest 
produce  or  which  is  expected  to  exercise  certain  climatic  effects. 


BATHERS — CHILDREN'S  OUTING  CAMP. 

As  far  as  conclusions  may  now  be  drawn,  agree  scientists, 
it  is  probable  that  the  greater  part  of  the  dry  land  of  the  earth 
was  at  some  time  covered  with  forest  which  consisted  chiefly  of 
trees  and  shrubs  according  to  the  climate,  soil  and  configura- 
tion of  the  locality. 

When  the  old  trees  reached  their  limit  of  life  they  disap- 
peared and  younger  trees  took  their  places.  The  conditions  for 


THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


CAMPFIRE  GIRLS  AT   PALATINE  PRESERVE. 


an  uninterrupted  regeneration  of  the  forest  were  favorable  and 
the  result  was  a  vigorous  production  by  the  creative  powers  of 
the  soil  and  climate. 

Then  came  man  and  by  degrees  he  interfered  until  in  most 
countries  of  the  earth  the  area  of  forest  has  been  considerably 
reduced.  The  first  decided  interference  was 'probably  due  to  the 
establishment  of  domestic  animals — men  burned  the  forests  to 
obtain  pasture  for  their  flocks. 

Subsequently  similar  measures  on  an  ever-increasing  scale 
were  employed  to  prepare  the  land  for  agricultural  purposes. 
Then  came  the  reckless  cutting  and  subsequent  firing  for  econ- 
omic purposes  and  the  governmental  intervention  such  as  the 
creation  of  the  Forest  Preserve  District  of  CoOk  County. 

Gifford  Pinchot  wrote  that  "forestry  has  principally  to  do 
with  the  supply  of  wood  for  various  purposes,  with  the  main- 
tenance of  waterflow  in  streams,  with  the  prevention  of  floods 
and  with  the  supply  of  forage  for  grazing  animals  within  the 
forest." 

The  forests  are  generally  located  at  the  headwaters  of 
streams  whose  protection  is  essential  to  irrigated  agriculture  on 
the  lands  below  them,  he  wrote,  and  such  is  the  case  with  the 
forest  lands  of  Cook  County. 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS 


57 


It  is  but  few  of  our  people  who  have  ever  given  time  and 
thought  enough  to  the  question  to  appreciate  what  an  import- 
ant part  the  forest  land  plays  in  the  maintenance  of  waterflow 
in  our  vitally  important  streams.  In  the  same  way  few  realize 
that  forest  land  constitutes  our  greatest  agency  of  protection  from 
devastating  floods. 

Appleton  has  said  of  forestry  that  first  it  furnishes  wood 
and  other  products,  useful  materials  without  which  human  civili- 
zation would  be  greatly  impeded,  if  not  impossible  and  secondly 
it  furnishes  a  certain  cover  for  the  soil  and  secures  the  influence 
which  such  cover  has  on  climate  and  on  water  conditions. 

This  object  has  been  only  vaguely  felt,  he  has  written,  until 
in  more  recent  times  experimental  proof  has  been  brought  to 
the  relations  of  the  forests  to  the  weather  and  to  the  water  flow. 
Natural  forest  conditions  consist  in  dense  growth,  mixed  growth 
and  undergrowth. 

So  far  as  any  one  of  these  conditions  is  deficient  or  lacking 
by  so  much  is  the  forest  short  of  the  ideal.  Reduced  evapora- 
tion is  forest  condition.  Shade  reduces  evaporation.  Dense 
growth  furnishes  not  only  straight  clear  timber  but  shade.  Mixed 
growth  alone  can  preserve  a  continuous  shade  for  a  long  time. 
Undergrowth  assists  in  keeping  the  ground  shaded. 

Reforestation  of  Cook  County  lands  is  one  of  the  problems 
which  in  my  opinion  gives  the  board  of  forest  preserve  commis- 
sioners an  opportunity  for  service  second  in  importance  only  to 
the  conservation  of  the  existing  woodland.  We  have  taken  some 
steps  in  that  direction. 


BLUFFS,  PALOS  PARK   PRESERVE. 


58 


THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


THRIVING  SEEDLINGS  IN  PALOS  HILLS. 


But  what  has  been  done  in  the  way  of  developing  nursery 
stock  and  transplanting  is  nothing  to  what  should  be  under 
way  in  behalf  of  this  great  county  and  I  should  like  to  give  a 
brief  outline  of  a  reforestation  scheme  that  would  prove  an 
economic  blessing  to  the  county. 

Simply  by  the  establishment  of  a  county  nursery  tract,  for 
which  we  already  have  the  suitable  ground,  the  Forest  Preserve 
District  will  be  able  to  start  a  general  reforesting  movement 
that  will  completely  "make  over"  the  entire  county. 

And  unlike  most  public  projects  with  benefits  so  extensive 
this  nursery  scheme  is  one  that  can  be  put  into  active  operation 
with  practically  a  nominal  expenditure  of  money.  And  here 
is  what  could  be  accomplished : 


CATTLE  PASTURING  ON  PRESERVE  LANDS. 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS  59 

1 — Would  raise  trees  for  reforesting  the  lands  which  have 
come  into  the  county's  possession  with  the  acquisition  of  the 
Forest  Preserve  District  of  13,000  acres  and  more.  Some  tree 
planting  has  been  undertaken  but  for  the  plans  of  future  develop- 
ment of  the  District  the  growing  of  trees  on  a  much  larger  scale 
will  be  necessary. 

2— Would  raise  trees  for  reforesting  lands  in  cities  and 
towns  of  the  county  giving  impetus  to  the  development  of  munici- 
pal forests  that  would  one  day  take  their  places  as  important 
factors  in  Cook  County's  health-giving  waves  of  timberland. 

3 — Would  raise  trees  to  be  distributed  at  a  small  margin  over 
cost  to  beginners  in  forest  planting  and  thus  encourage  more 
private  owners  to  reforest  waste  land.  It  would  be  the  district's 
policy  to  adhere  more  to  the  educational  feature  in  stimulating 
private  planting  and  to  leave  to  commercial  nurseries  the  larger 
planting  operations,  thereby  increasing  the  field  for  commercial 
nurseries  and  in  no  way  furnishing  them  competition  for  private 
business. 

A — Could  raise  shade  and  ornamental  trees  that  could  be 
furnished  to  the  towns  and  county  for  planting  along  roadsides 
and  for  the  creation  of  timber  groves  about  schoolhouses  and 
all  public  buildings. 

5 — Could  be  made  the  site  for  an  experimental  forest  which 
would  be  the  means  of  demonstrating  just  what  can  and  can- 
not be  accomplished  in  the  way  of  reforesting  Cook  County 
lands — a  service  that  would  not  only  lighten  the  way  for  the 
Preserve  District  but  for  every  private  land  owner  in  the  county. 


NATURE-BUILT    PLAYGROUND,   SALT   CREEK   REGION. 


60 


THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS  61 

And  practically  all  the  improvements  necessary  to  make 
possible  establishment  of  such  an  important  piece  of  work  would 
be  represented  in  a  barn,  a  shop,  maybe  a  packing  house  and 
possibly  a  small  plain  building1  for  the  housing  of  what  labor 
might  be  needed  in  the  spring  and  fall  with  the  activities  of 
the  nursery. 

Then  establishment  of  such  an  industry  in  the  name  of  the 
Forest  Preserve  District  of  Cook  County  at  such  a  nominal  cost 
would  give  us  the  further  advantage  of  a  field  headquarters 
from  which  the  District  could  conduct  all  other  lines  of  develop- 
ment that  are  contemplated. 


"SHOCK-HEAD  WILLOWS,  Two  BY  Two,  BY  RIVERS  GALLOPADED."— 
TENNYSON   (DESPLAINES  RIVER). 


And  these  lines  are  many  and  important.  For  instance 
there  is  the  work  of  stocking  the  District  streams  with  fish, 
something  which  every  citizen  will  agree  is  necessary.  In  that 
we  have  already  the  co-operation  of  the  State  Game  and  Fish 
Commission. 

In  many  of  the  preserve  tracts  the  streams  are  today  getting 
the  attention  of  the  "state  stockers" — a  propagation  campaign 
which  will  eventually  give  the  district  dozens  of  clear-water 
streams  abounding  in  fish  such  as  black  bass,  croppies  and  blue 
gills. 

And  with  what  help  the  District  gets  from  the  State  Com- 
mission we  will  be  able  to  establish  a  game  and  fish  department 
of  our  own  that  will  in  a  few  years  be  able  to  bring  the  county 
forest  lands  back  to  a  state,  as  to  wild  life,  that  stood  before 
the  advent  of  hunters. 


62  THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 

With  the  district  embodying  hundreds  upon  hundreds  of 
acres  of  woodland  that  has  for  years  been  the  refuge  of  birds 
of  every  conceivable  type,  it  will  require  but  little  effort  to  bring 
back  the  county's  colonies  of  wild  canaries  and  such  species 
almost  extinct. 

In  the  same  way  this  land  in  the  past  was  the  home  for 
every  known  kind  of  wild  game.  By  the  application  of  strict 
rules  for  the  protection  of  desirable  animal  life  and  by  the  in- 
troduction of  scientific  plans  of  propagation  plans  the  District 
hopes  to  restore  that  attractive  feature  of  the  woodland. 

Within  the  13,000  acres  now  owned  by  the  Forest  Preserve 
District  there  are  also  inestimable  possibilities  for  food  produc- 
tion which,  though  barely  touched,  have  already  developed  in 
such  a  fashion  as  to  prove  a  vital  factor  in  helping  the  nation 
win  the  present  war. 

Along  with  the  woodland  there  are  hundreds  upon  hun- 
dreds of  acres  of  excellent  pasturage  all  of  which  will  eventually 
be  utilized  for  the  raising  of  live  stock,  a  project  that  has  been 
started.  I  refer  to  the  sheep  graze. 

Last  year  the  National  Sheep  and  Wool  Bureau  appealed 
to  the  country  to  save  from  slaughter  10,000  ewe  lambs  about  to  be 
consigned  to  the  markets  from  states  in  the  northwest.  The 
Governor  of  Illinois  was  asked  to  interest  the  municipal  authori- 
ties. 

The  Forest  Preserve  District  purchased  500  head  of  the 
sheep.  Those  sheep  were  placed  on  one  of  the  preserves  and 
were  cared  for  during  the  winter.  With  the  lambs  the  band 
now  numbers  about  800  and  the  first  shearing  produced  a  wool 
clip  of  2,500  pounds  which  will  be  greatly  increased  in  future 
years. 


SHEEP  GRAZE  IN  PALATINE. 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS  63 


HORSES  PASTURING  IN  PALOS  HILLS. 


That  was  a  small  beginning  of  what  the  Forest  Preserve 
District  plans  to  make  a  big  feature  of  the  district  lands  in  the 
future.  Eventually  the  Forest  Preserve  District  will  not  only 
be  a  source  of  greatest  enjoyment  to  the  citizenship  of  Cook 
County  but  may  become  self-sustaining. 

In  the  purchase  of  forest  tracts  the  board  acquired  many 
small  areas  of  meadow  land  and  open  places  suitable  to  grazing. 
In  the  aggregate  these  pastures  cover  several  thousand  acres. 
In  response  to  the  call  for  food  conservation  the  Board  decided 
that  none  of  the  land  should  be  withdrawn  from  pasturage. 

Former  owners  of  the  land  and  other  farmers  in  the  ad- 
joining countryside  were  requested  to  raise  cattle  on  these  lands — 
the  district  was  unable  to  do  it — and  the  result  was  that  more 
than  2,500  head  of  beef  stock  grazed  on  forest  preserve  pas- 
tures during  the  year. 

Likewise  many  of  the  wooded  tracts  acquired  contained  a 
small  acreage  of  cultivated  land,  aggregating  about  600  acres. 
To  meet  the  food  crisis  525  acres  was  utilized  in  the  production 
of  corn,  oats  and  vegetables  and  many  tons  of  hay  were  harvested 
in  the  meadows  not  used  for  pasturage. 

During  last  winter's  coal  famine  over  300  cords  of  fire- 
wood from  dead  and  fallen  trees  were  sold  at  a  nominal  price 
to  persons  unable  to  obtain  other  fuel  and  the  district  is  making 
still  more  extensive  preparations  for  aiding  in  meeting  such  a 
crisis  if  it  develops  again. 


64 


THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


Still  another  phase  of  the  district's  value  to  the  nation  in 
the  conduct  of  war  is  found  in  the  vast  acreage  of  many  of 
the  preserves  where  are  found  natural  facilities  for  camps  and 
drill  grounds  that  will  accommodate  any  where  from  two  to 
five  regiments  of  militia.  Camps  for  Boy  Scouts  and  other 
semi-military  organizations  have  already  been  established  in  the 
preserves. 

And  within  the  confines  of  the  district  there  are  dozens  of 
sites  that  could  not  be  better  adapted  for  the  accommodation  of 
convalescing  sick  and  the  wounded  soldiers.  A  number  of  farm 
buildings  on  the  grounds  could  easily  be  converted  into  tem- 
porary hospitals. 


OLD  INDIAN  TRAIL   (PALOS  PARK). 


No  more  healthful  or  sanitary  localities  could  be  found  for 
that  purpose.  Removed  from  the  smoke,  dust  and  noise  of  the 
city;  with  fresh,  pure  air  and  the  healing  and  stimulating  balm 
of  the  trees  and  flowers,  the  conditions  are  ideal  for  the  speedy 
recuperation  of  temporarily  disabled  fighting  men. 

In  endeavoring  to  outline  for  the  citizens  of  Cook  County 
what  has  been  done  for  preservation  of  forests  in  the  creation 
of  the  Forest  Preserve  District,  it  is  my  sincere  hope  that  I  may 
have  been  the  means  of  awakening  some  public  interest  in  the 
movement. 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS  65 

All  over  the  country  the  importance  of  the  movement  for 
forest  preservation  is  given  official  recognition.  Our  forests 
are  not  only  the  source  of  raw  material  for  the  nation's  third 
greatest  industry — namely  lumbering — but  upon  the  forests  al- 
most all  industrial  pursuits  depend  either  directly  or  indirectly. 

More  than  that  the  value  of  forests  in  holding  the  soil  in 
place  and  regulating  stream  flow,  in  governing  climatic  condi- 
tions as  windbreaks,  as  purifiers  of  the  air  and  as  aesthetic  fea- 
tures in  the  lives  of  our  citizens,  make  their  preservation  one 
of  the  big  problems  of  the  day. 

In  preparation  for  another  step  in  the  future  development 
of  the  District  we  have  taken  up  the  question  of  sustained  flow 
in  the  beautiful  Desplaines.  Introduction  of  water  from  the 
nearby  Lake  Michigan  in  dry  seasons  has  been  considered. 

The  feasibility  of  the  plan  has  already  been  demonstrated  in 
conferences  with  the  authorities  of  the  Sanitary  District  of  Chi- 
cago and  the  citizenship  may  rest  assured  that  the  day  is  coming 
when  the  beauty  of  this  river  valley  will  be  protected  against 
annual  droughts. 

In  Cook  County  we  are  fortunate  in  having  passed  the 
legislative  stage.  The  Forest  Preserve  District  of  Cook  County 
is  a  reality.  The  District  owns  more  than  13,000  acres  of  in- 
comparable forest  land  and  has  plans  for  development  that 
will  make  Cook  County  unique  in  the  forest  world. 

And  you  might  ask,  "How  can  I  help  in  this  campaign  of 
development?"  And  the  answer  is  "By  acquainting  yourself 
with  the  work  underway  by  the  Forest  Preserve  Commissioners 
and  lending  your  support  because  the  efforts  of  any  governmental 
body  is  only  successful  so  far  as  it  represents  the  sentiment  of 
the  people  it  is  elected  to  represent." 

In  conclusion  I  wish  to  express  my  utmost  thanks  and  grati- 
tude to  the  thousands  of  citizens  of  Cook  County  who  have 
given  such  tireless  and  self-sacrificing  efforts  in  aid  of  my  work 
as  President  of  the  Board  of  Forest  Preserve  Commissioners 
and  to  thank  in  advance  those  thousands  who,  I  am  sure,  are 
going  to  enlist  themselves  in  such  a  wonderful  project. 


66 


THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


"THE  FORB 


— BRYANT. 


The  Forest  Preserves 


68 


THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS 


69 


HOSPITAL  BUILDING  (CAMP  REINBERG). 


Deer  Grove 

(Palatine  Preserve) 


Picture  eleven  hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  rolling  hilly  wood- 
land, interspersed  with  spring-water  streams  winding  their  way 
through  ravines  and  dotted  with  lakes  that  fit  well  into  Nature's 
best  effort  in  scenic  effects,  and  you  have  a  fair  idea  of  the 
Palatine  tract — 26  miles  northwest  of  Chicago. 

With  the  purchase  of  innumerable  pieces  of  this  strip  of 
primitive  forest,  constituting  Sections  4,  5,  8  and  9,  your  Board 
of  Forest  Preserve  Commissioners  has  been  able  to  make  the 
consolidation  that  brought  into  being  what  many  consider  the 
choicest  tract  thrown  open  for  the  public. 


70 


THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


BOY  SCOUTS'  DRILL  (CAMP  REINBERG). 


Running  a  mile  and  a  quarter  from  north  to  south  and  a 
mile  and  a  half  from  east  to  west  there  are  runs  of  shag-hickory, 
the  like  of  which  cannot  be  found  elsewhere  in  the  country. 
Aside  from  that  there  are  scores  of  walnut  groves  and  a  sprink- 
ling of  oaks  presenting  some  of  the  finest  specimens  in  existence. 

With  old  Indian  trails  reaching  this  way  and  that  through 
the  ever-interesting  tract,  the  Palatine  preserve,  already  famed 
as  a  rendezvous  of  picnickers,  holds  for  visitors  days  of  out- 
door exploration — the  kind  that  brings  back  youth  and  lavishes 
health  blessings  upon  all  seekers. 

By  the  use  of  the  guide-maps  furnished  by  the  District 
officers  visitors  here  are  able  to  pick  up  the  trails  first  blazed 
by  the  Indians  and  follow  their  very  footsteps  to  the  still-marked 
sites  of  their  villages,  camps  and  chipping  stations.  It  is  a 
region  fairly  abounding  in  historical  significance. 

On  the  extreme 
eastern  end  of  the 
Preserve  is  to  be 
found  Camp  Rein- 
berg,  fully  equipped 
for  the  management 
of  outings  for  poor 
children,  a  movement 
that  was  instituted  by 
your  board  of  pre- 
serve commissioners 
immediately  upon  the 
acquisition  of  this 
choice  property. 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS 


71 


As  a  part  of  that  camp  there  are  two  large  bunkhouses  de- 
signed for  sheltering  the  boys  and  girls  brought  to  the  country 
for  the  few  weeks  of  outdoor  existence  that  adds  so  much  to 
their  lives.  This  entire  camp  is  supplied  by  a  water  pressure 
system  and  everything  else  necessary  for  sanitation. 

Alongside  the  bunkhouses  there  is  the  kitchen  and  dining 
room,  the  bathhouse  equipped  for  showers  and  the  hospital  build- 
ing erected  for  handling  any  emergency  cases  that  might  develop 
with  300  or  400  youngsters  participating  in  the  outing.  Then 
there  are  the  buildings  for  housing  the  camp's  executive  officers. 


PRESIDENT  REINBERG  AT  CHILDREN'S   OUTING  CAMP. 


Still  another  feature  of  Camp  Reinberg,  named  for  the  first 
president  of  the  Board  of  Forest  Preserve  Commissioners,  is  a 
large  ice  house  by  which  the  camp  managers  are  able  to  furnish 
that  most  necessary  commodity  in  the  lives  of  children  with- 
standing the  hot  summer  weather. 

Within  a  stone's  throw  of  the  camp  buildings  there  has  been 
established  an  athletic  field  that  has  proved  a  delight  to  the  young 
and  old  visiting  the  preserve  in  the  quest  of  recreation.  In 
addition  to  facilities  for  staging  all  sorts  of  field  games  there  is 
a  regulation  baseball  diamond. 


72 


THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


Endeavoring  al- 
ways tq  restore  the 
woodland  to  as  near 
its  natural  state  as 
possible  your  Board 
of  Commissioners 
has  undertaken  to 
make  it  once  more 
the  home  of  deer. 
This  forest  was  origi- 
nally a  stalking 
ground  for  deer.  The 
Indians  established 

what  became  known  as  the  Deer  Trail  in  getting  here  from  the 

shores  of  Lake  Michigan. 

At  the  present  time  there  is  a  pasture  of  850  acres  com- 
pletely fenced  for  deer.  Within  that  pasture  four  of  the  finest 
species  of  that  much-admired  animal  have  been  placed  and  within 
a  few  years  the  Board  hopes  to  have  developed  a  deer  park 
that  will  be  an  attraction  for  thousands. 

In  the  same  region  of  the  Palatine  woods  the  board,  at- 
tempting to  help  the  nation  meet  the  wartime  wool  and  food 
crisis  has  established  a  sheep  graze  upon  which  500  head  of 
sheep  are  already  working  for  the  taxpayers  of  Cook  County. 
This  year's  wool  clip,  only  a  starter,  netted  over  a  ton  of  wool. 

For  the  student  of  bird  life  this  district  holds  almost  every 
kind  of  feathered  creatures  known  in  the  Northwest.  All  the 
song  birds,  including  thrushes,  robins,  bluebirds,  etc.,  make  this 
their  home.  Quail  and  pheasants  are  likewise  a  common  sight. 

Favored  as  it  is  with  running  streams  and  clearwater  lakes 
the  tract  is  a  rendezvous  for  the  blue  heron  and  the  bittern  all 
the  year  round.  As  a  wild  duck  refuge  this  tract  has  long  been 
widely  known.  The  mallard  colony  here  was  estimated  at  more 
than  500  many  years  ago.  What  its  membership  is  now  is  prob- 
lematical. 

For  the  fisherman  also  the  Palatine  woods  are  a  source  of 
delight.  With  proof  of  possibilities  in  the  propagation  of  fresh 
water  fish  the  Illinois  State  Game  and  Fish  Commission  has 
consented  to  send  "stackers"  here  with  black  bass,  croppies  and 
blue  gills. 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS 


73 


Visitors  arriving  by  the  Lake  Zurich 
railroad  alight  in  the  very  midst  of  the 
preserve's  spots  of  foremost  interest.  The 
railroad  station  is  within  the  preserve 
itself.  Camp  Reinberg  and  all  its  attract- 
ive features  are  found  just  east  of  the 
railroad. 

To  the  west  just  across  the  pictur- 
esque Lake  Zurich  road  winding  its  way 
through  the  woodland  there  is  the  deer 

park  and  the  sheep  graze.  By  following  the  plainly  marked 
Indian  trail,  now  a  picknickers'  trail,  one  comes  to  the  twenty- 
five  acre  lake  which  the  board  was  able  to  construct  by  the  simple 
erection  of  a  dam. 

On  the  banks  of  this  artificial  lake,  created  at  the  cost  of  a 
few  dollars,  there  are  acres  upon  acres  of  picnicking  spots  which 
once  they  become  known  to  the  citizens  of  Cook  County  will  be 
always  a  lure  for  them.  There  are  to  be  found  boating  facili- 
ties which  are  being  added  to  as  quickly  as  possible. 

From  the  lake,  going  still  further  west  or  further  north  the 
explorer  comes  into  his  own.  Here  are  hundreds  upon  hun- 
dreds of  acres  of  virgin  timberland,  so  primitive  in  fact  as  to 
give  one  the  idea  that  Redskin  warriors  might  be  expected  to 
leap  out  from  behind  trees  any  minute. 

The  fact  that  Indians  did  haunt  these  same  ravines,  main- 
taining lookouts  on  every  peak  and  crag,  will  lend  the  territory 
an  added  interest  to  the  majority  of  visitors.  Indeed  there  is, 
in  these  secluded  tracts,  every  opportunity  for  research  work 
which  will  be  encouraged  by  the  board. 

Visitors  driving  to  the  tract  will 
will  find  the  main  entrance  at  the  south- 
east corner  where  the  houses  of  the 
caretakers  are  located.  On  the  western 
end,  also,  where  the  Dundee  road  skirts 
the  preserve  there  is  a  much  used  en- 
trance. There  is  a  road  dartirrg  its  way 
inward. 


74 


THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


A  quarter-mile 
within  there  is  a 
cleared  spot  pointed 
out  by  many  as  the 
site  of  the  traditional 
Big  Foot  camp,  so- 
called  because  of  its 
part  in  the  Winne- 
bago  Wars  scare  in 
1827  among  the  white 
settlers  about  Chi- 
cago. 

At  the  time  Big 
Foot,  the  chief,  was  at 
Lake  Geneva  using 

every  wile  in  an  effort  to  get  the  aid  of  the  then  peaceful  Pot- 
towatomies  in  the  uprising  against  the  white.  In  these  Pal- 
atine woods,  tradition  tells  us,  was  a  tribe  of  Pottowatomies 
wavering  on  the  proposition. 

Friendly  Indian  chieftains  such  as  Robinson  and  Shab- 
bona  left  for  Lake  Geneva  on  a  peace  mission.  Here  on  this 
cleared  spot,  it  is  told,  Robinson  harangued  with  the  leaders 
of  the  Indian  "war  party"  for  thirty  hours  and  the  crisis  was 
finally  averted  for  the  white  settlers. 

Another  pretty  story  that  has  been  associated  with  the 
Salt  Creek  headwaters  to  be  found  in  these  woods  is  that  of 
an  Indian  maid  who  committed  a  most  spectacular  suicide  in 
grief  over  the  loss  of  her  warrior-lover.  He  was  supposed  to 
have  fallen  in  battle. 

In  the  birchbark  canoe  of  her  fallen  brave  this  Indian  miss 
is  supposed  to  have  patrolled  the  waters  for  days  and  days, 
refusing  to  take  food  or1  water,  until  she  finally  collapsed  and 
was  carried  away  by  the  stream. 


How  to  Get  There — 

By  automobile  from  Chicago  take  Milwaukee  Avenue  to  Ballard  Road 
in  Maine  Township,  to  Rand  Road,  to  Dundee  Road,  to  Quinten's  Corner 
Road,  which  turns  north,  penetrating  and  skirting  preserve,  connecting 
with  well-beaten  old  trails  that  lead  to  scores  of  picturesque  spots. 

By  rail,  take  Chicago  and  Northwestern  Railroad  to  Palatine,  thence 
via  Palatine,  Lake  Zurich  and  Waucanda  Railway,  which  stops  within 
the  preserve  at  Camp  Reinberg  (old  Deer  Grove  Park),  where  thousands 
of  poor  children  get  annual  outings. 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS 


75 


76 


THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


DESPLAINES  RIVER  PRESERVE  FROM  COUNTY  LINE  SOUTH  TO  INTER- 
SECTION OF   MILWAUKEE  AVE.  AND  DESPLAINES  RIVER. 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS 


BASEBALL  IN  THE  WOODS    (WHEELING  PARK). 


Desplaines  River 
Valley  Preserve 


Running  from  Madison  street  on  the  south  to  the  county 
line  on  the  north,  twenty  miles  of  primeval  mixed  hardwood 
forest  from  a  half  to  a  mile  deep  on  either  bank  of  the  Des- 
plaines river,  trailed  the  entire  length  by  a  winding  state  road 
— that  is  the  Desplaines  River  Valley  Preserve. 

Were  all  the  painting  geniuses  of  the  world  to  submit  their 
ideas  of  beauty  possible  in  a  river  valley  studded  with  forestry 
and  were  those  ideas  consolidated  in  a  "valley  ideal"  it  couldn't 
produce  a  single  suggestion  for  improvement  of  this  bit  of 
work  Nature  has  handed  down  to  us. 

Indians  were  alive  to  the  blessings  provided  for  them  in 
this  region.  One  thing  that  writers  of  Cook  County's  early 
history  do  agree  on  is  that  the  Desplaines  River  valley  was 
the  real  home  of  the  Pottowatomie  Indians  generally  credited 
with  being  the  aboriginal  inhabitants  of  "Checaugau." 


78 


THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS  79 

The      red     men 

found   this   "land   of 

beautiful   country"  in 

their  quest  of  a  route 

to    and    from    Lake 

Michigan    with    their 

furs  procured  in  the 

interior.         Albert   - 

Scharf's    map    shows 

the  sites  of  more  than 

a    dozen    Indian  vil- 
lages within  this  twenty-mile  stretch  along  the  river. 

There  are  more  than  2,900  acres  in  this  marvelous  strip  of 
forestry  which  has  been  acquired  for  preservation.  It  includes 
most  of  the  Indian  reservations  that  were  made  by  the  Treaty 
of  1832  in  the  interest  of  redskinned  friends  of  the  white  man 
in  the  perilous  days  of  the  massacre. 

The  extreme  north  end  of  the  preserve  is  what  was  known 
as  the  Wheeling  tract,  a  collection  of  picnic  grounds  that  have 
already  been  the  means  of  introducing  thousands  to  the  charms 
of  the  "Riviere  Aux  Pleins"  as  the  original  French  explorers 
styled  it. 

Here  at  the  junction  of  the  Dundee  and  Desplaines  River 
roads  has  always  been  a  popular  outing  grounds — a  region  that 
has  been  made  doubly  attractive  to  the  recreation  seeker  by 
the  District's  construction  of  shelters,  improved  springs  and 
public  conveniences. 

The  maple  and  white  oak  forests  by  withstanding  the 
ravages  of  civilization  have  been  the  means  of  preserving  for 
us  some  of  the  country's  wild  life,  including  all  the  known 
species  of  song  birds  as  well  as  the  four-footed  animals. 

Directly  to  the  south  one  finds  that  beautiful  tract  which 
was  taken  over  for  park  purposes  years  ago  as  a  result  of  the 
energy  of  the  citizens  of  the  village  of  Desplaines.  This  North- 
western Park,  already  improved,  has  been  acquired  to  complete 
the  Preserve  chain. 

Then  we  come  to  tracts  still  bearing  traces  of  the  activ- 
ities that  otherwise  live  only  in  written  history.  On  the  old 
Hayward  woods  there  is  the  site  of  the  Old  Grove  portage.  It 
is  unmistakable  and  President  Reinberg  of  the  District  has 
already  taken  steps  to  insure  its  proper  identification. 

Here  it  was  that  Father  Marquette,  the  French  explorer, 
supposedly  first  put  foot  upon  the  ground  of  Cook  County  and 
that  spot,  as  it  happened,  was  upon  a  monster  rock  imbedded 
in  the  river  bank  where  it  still  nestles.  That,  likewise,  is  to 
be  marked  appropriately. 


80  THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


ALONG  THE  DESPLAINES  (LEYDEN  TOWNSHIP). 


The  plan  has  been  suggested  for  a  construction  of  a  pub- 
lic shelter  at  this  popular  section  of  the  preserve  and  that  no 
doubt,  when  erected,  will  derive  its  name  for  the  revered 
Frenchman  to  whom  went  the  honor  of  first  discovering  our 
county. 

In  a  still  more  substantial  manner  the  old  Indian  ford, 
later  called  the  Talcott  ford,  just  south  of  the  town  of  Des- 
plaines,  will  be  marked  with  the  construction  of  an  automobile 
ford  which  was  first  conceived  for  Wheeling  Park  traffic  still 
further  north. 

There  the  engineers  are  engaged  in  laying  a  full-fledged 
concrete  road  across  on  the  bottom  of  the  river  for  the  benefit 
of  automobiles  and  horse-drawn  vehicles  as  well.  This  will 
be  marked  by  iron  uprights  on  which  will  be  strung  a  pictur- 
esque footbridge. 

But  it  is  when  one  gets  down  into  the  old  Indian  reserva- 
tion region  of  the  rivetf  valley  that  the  full  import  of  the  val- 
-  ley's  connection  with  Indian  life  is  realized.  There  is  to  be 
found  some  of  the  few  remaining  specimen  of  Indian  mounds 
in  this  section  of  the  northwest. 

To  John  Kennicott,  Cook  County's  first  doctor  whose 
home  was  within  a  stone's  throw  of  the  Old  Grove  Portage 
and  who  incidentally  was  the  father  of  the  present  District 
Forester,-  Ransom  E.  Kennicott,  goes  the  credit  of  locating 
these  mounds.  Consequently  they  have  been  named  for  him. 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS 


81 


These  mounds  are  found  in  the  woods  just  to  the  north  of 
the  west  extension  of  North  Avenue.  Eventually  this  spot, 
like  all  others,  will  be  indicated  by  the  comprehensive  system 
of  signs  that  will  guide  travelers  in  the  woods  and  on  the 
roads. 

Dr.  Kennicott  has  told  how  the  Indians,  using  the  portage, 
dragged  their  canoes  past  his  home  and  across  the  "high  road," 
that  is  now  the  Milwaukee  Avenue  road,  to  the  waters  that  led 
them  to  the  Chicago  River  and  the  Lake.  He  knew  by  name 
practically  all  the  savages  who  used  the  portage. 

From  Irving  Park  boulevard  to  Higgins  Road  (Lawrence 
Avenue  extension)  on  the  north  there  are  truly  majestic  for- 
ests that  have  for  years  been  known  as  "Indian  Reservation." 
They  constitute  the  tracts  that  went  to  Claude  LaFramboise 
and  Alexander  Robinson  under  the  Treaty  of  Prairie  du  Chien. 

A  daughter  of  Chief  Robinson,  Mrs.  Mary  Robinson 
Rager,  still  makes  her  home  on  this  ancient  domain.  Just  west 
of  the  Desplaines  River  road  there  lies  the  old  family  burying 
ground  with  quaint  stones  marking  the  graves  of  the  Chief 
and  his  wife,  Catherine  Chevallier. 


TYPE  OF  COMFORT  STATIONS. 


82 


THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


THATCHER  PARK,  NORTH  OF  CHICAGO  AVENUE. 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS 


THATCHER  PARK,  FROM  CHICAGO  AVE.  SOUTH  TO  MADISON  ST. 


84 


THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS 


85 


PARKING  SPACE,  THATCHER  PARK. 


As  historical  society  writers  have  said  of  Mrs.  Rager,  she 
lives  almost  entirely  independent  of  the  outside  world  on  her 
estate.  She  says  she  has  never  needed  medicine  other  than  the 
sights  and  sounds  of  the  river  and  the  forests  of  elms,  pines 
and  maples  that  tower  above  her  cottage  which,  buried  in  the 
trees,  is  surrounded  by  natural  grassy  lawns  and  shrubbery. 

South  of  Irving  Park  Boulevard  one  comes  to  the  river's 
intersection  with  the  old  Indian  Boundary  Line  which  de- 
scribed a  zone  about  the  mouth  of  the  Chicago  River.  Under 
the  treaty  of  1816  the  Indians  relinquished  all  this  territory  to 
the  white  man  and  access  to  the  lake  could  only  be  had  north 
of  that  line. 

On  almost  the  exact  course  of  that  dead  line  for  Indians 
there  was  later  constructed  a  railroad,  a  right-of-way  since 
abandoned.  That  historical  strip  of  land  running  northwest 
from  the  river  into  the  city  at  Norwood  Park  has  been  acquired 
for  future  development  as  a  drive  that  will  connect  the  pre- 
serves on  the  Desplaines  and  Chicago  Rivers,  diverting  traffic 
from  the  city  drives. 

In  the  establishment  of  the  historical  points  about  this  re- 
markable preserve  the  District  officers  have  only  started.  It 


86  THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 

is  when  the  public  has  awakened  to  the  possibilities  for  re- 
search in  this  practically  unexplored  region  that  we  will  begin 
to  get  the  real  story  of  this  river  valley's  history. 

From  a  silviculturist's  standpoint  the  region  presents  a 
typical  American  forest,  containing  as  it  does  at  some  point  or 
another  colonies  of  practically  all  the  thoroughbred  hardwood 
trees.  For  plant  life  an  equally  varied  field  for  study  is  found. 
In  the  spring  it  is  fairly  carpeted  with  violets. 

Then  with  its  river  bank  shrubbery  the  preserve  holds  for 
the  visitor  additional  charms.  Add  to  this  the  ever-present 
bird  life,  the  forest-living  animals  and  the  water  fowl  and  fish 
that  find  a  home  in  the  Desplaines  and  you  have  a  composite 
picture  of  this  region. 

For  the  picnicker  and  camper  this  preserve  was  built  to 
order.  The  river  with  its  grassy-slope  banks,  ribboned  with 
springs  turning  their  sparkling  waters  into  the  stream,  is  one 
continuous  ideal  spot  such  as  bring  cries  of  joy  from  discover- 
ers. And  it  is  all  a  few  steps  off  the  river  road. 

In  beautiful  Thatcher  Park,  large  tract  of  elms  and  soft 
maples,  that  constitutes  the  southermost  end  of  the  river  pre- 
serve there  is  a  cinder-path  drive  for  autos  that  traverses  al- 
most the  entire  interior.  It  strikes  into  the  woodland  at  Chi- 
cago Avenue  and  comes  out  at  Division  Street. 


Wheeling  Tract 
How  to  Get  There — 

.  By  automobile  take  Milwaukee  Avenue,  skirting  preserve  in  Wheeling 
Township,  via  Dundee  Road,  which  leads  into  preserve. 

By  rail  take  Soo  Line  Railroad  to  Wheeling,  within  walking  distance 
of  choicest  sections  of  the  preserve,  where  picknickers  congregate  by 
thousands. 

Northwestern  Park  Tract 
How  to  Get  There — 

By  automobile  take  Milwaukee  Avenue  to  Ballard  Road,  thence  direct 
into  the  village  of  Desplaines.  To  make  the  more  picturesque  river  drive, 
take  Washington  boulevard  to  Thatcher  avenue,  north  to  River  Grove, 
Grand  Avenue  west  to  River  Road,  which  follows  river  north,  the  length 
of  the  preserve  to  the  village  of  Desplaines. 

By  rail  take  Chicago  and  Northwestern  Railroad  to  the  village  of  Des- 
plaines. 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS  87 

Robinson  and  La  Framboise  Reservations 
How  to  Get  There — 

By   automobile  take  Washington  Boulevard  Route  given  for  North- 
western  Park,  the  River  Road  taking  you  through  Reservation  ground. 

By  rail,  take  Soo  Line  to  Franklin  Park,  Fairview  or  Orchard  Place, 
or  take  C,  M.  &  St.  P.  Railroad  to  Franklin  Park. 

By  street  car,  go  out  Grand  Avenue  to  end  of  line  and  take  Elmwood 
Cemetery  bus. 


Thatcher  Park 

Including  the  famous  Steele  tract. 
How  to  Get  There — 

By  automobile,  take  Washington  Boulevard  west  to  Thatcher  Avenue, 
then  north  to  Chicago  Avenue  and  the  Thatcher  Park  preserve.  By  rail, 
take  Chicago  and  Northwestern  Railroad  to  River  Forest.  By  street  car, 
take  either  Madison  Street  or  Lake  Street  cars  (two  fares  required)  or 
take  Oak  Park  Elevated  Road  to  western  terminal  (one  fare),  thence  walk 
west  to  preserve.  To  Steele  tract  same  route,  as  preserves  are  adjoining. 


88 


THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS  89 


Palos  Hills  Preserve 


"And  here,  amid 

The  silent  majesty  of  these  deep  woods, 
Its  presence  shall  uplift  thy  thoughts  from,  earth, 
As  to  the  sunshine  and  the  pure  bright  air 
Their  tops  the  green  trees  lift." 

When  Longfellow  wrote  those  words  he  might  easily 
have  had  in  mind  the  beautiful  Palos  Hills,  constituting  as 
they  do  the  "preserve  beautiful"  in  Cook  County's  forest  chain. 
But  all  words  fall  hopeless  before  the  amazing  splendor  of  this 
forest  landscape  with  its  ever-changing  panorama. 

There  2,000  acres  of  it  lies,  an  expanse  between  the  Calu- 
met feeder  and  the  canal,  every  inch  of  which  seems  striving 
to  outdo  the  other  in  scenic  effects.  Ravines,  hills,  cliffs,  bluffs 
and  valleys — and  all  are  trimmed  in  forest  de  luxe. 

And  what  will  be  still  more  interesting  to  the  citizenship 
is  that  this  2,000  acres  is  but  the  heart  of  a  zone  just  as  pic- 
turesque for  miles  around.  Eventually  the  Palos  Hills  pre- 
serve will  comprise  10,000  acres  taking  in  the  entire  Sag  dis- 
trict long  famed  for  its  extraordinary  landscape. 

On  every  side  there  is  nothing  but  the  most  rugged  type 
of  primitive  forest.  Then  there  are  the  stretches  of  the  wild- 
est character,  territory  that  does  the  heart  of  a  natural-born  ex- 
plorer good.  Here  surely  are  many  opportunities  for  un- 
covering spots  yet  to  be  touched  by  the  hand  of  man. 

And  through  it  all  runs  scores  of  cold,  clear  streams  that 
owe  their  existence  to  springs  which  bubble  up  through  the 
rocky  formation  so  prevalent  throughout  the  region.  The 
place  is  fairly  alive  with  song  and  game  birds.  The  immutable 
laws  of  the  wilds  still  hold  here. 

From  the  point  of  accessibility  this  district  has  many  ad- 
vantages despite  its  extent  and  wild  character.  Skirted  as  it 
is  on  either  side  by  navigable  streams  of  water  it  can  be 
reached  by  motorboats  from  Calumet  by  the  feeder  or  from 
Chicago  by  the  canal. 


90 


THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS  91 


SWALLOWS'  NESTS   SHOWN  IN   BLUFF    (PALOS   PARK). 


Striking  through  the  thickest  of  the  timber  the  section 
lines  are  all  marked  by  improved  state  roads  furnishing  some 
of  the  forest's  delightfully  picturesque  drives.  One  needs  only 
step  out  of  his  automobile  to  find  himself  in  the  wildest  sort  of 
country  any  human  ever  craved. 

Scenic  masterpieces  present  themselves  everywhere.  Swallow 
Cliff  presents  an  effect  for  which  visitors  have  traveled  miles 
and  miles.  It  stands  there,  fifty  feet  high  of  a  chalk-like  forma- 
tion furnishing  a  haven  for  thousands  upon  thousands  of 
swallows. 

The  bluffs  constituting  the  southern  border  of  the  district 
along  Mill  Creek  are  the  kind  artists  seek.  Mounted  as  they 
are  by  lofty  elms  and  sturdy  oaks,  overlooking  the  fast-run- 
ning stream  and  fringed  with  stupendous  crags  of  limestone, 
they  surely  present  a  picture  worth  traveling  to  see. 

Then  here  is  to  be  found  one  of  the  few  sycamore  groves 
that  have  survived  in  Cook  County.  Basswood  abounds  in  the 
region  and  nut-bearing  trees  of  every  variety  are  sprinkled 
throughout  the  forest  giving  rise  to  great  colonies  of  squirrels 
and  birds  looking  to  such  growth  for  sustenance. 

And  for  the  historical  research  worker  here  is  the  chance 
for  months  of  productive  effort.  This  is  the  zone  in  which  the 
most  of  Chicago's  history  was  made  in  the  days  when  French 
explorers  followed  by  French  soldiery  were  making  their  at- 
tempt to  subjugate  the  stubborn  Pottowatomie  Indians. 


92  THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 

Within  the  2,000  acres  now  owned  by  the  district  there  are 
the  ruins  of  two  French  forts,  giving  evidence  of  the  martial 
spirit  that  once  prevailed  in  these  forests.  Both  of  these  his- 
torical landmarks  are  destined  for  restoration  and  the  marks 
that  will  point  them  out  to  posterity. 

One  of  these  demolished  forts,  the  traces  of  which  time  has 
almost  removed,  is  located  on  the  edge  of  that  beautiful  Lady's 
Lane  drive  through  the  soul-stirring  timber.  It  was  there 
that  one  of  the  bloodiest  battles  between  the  French  and  the 
Indians  was  staged. 

Stones  that  were  sunken  into  the  ground  as  a  foundation 
for  the  superstructure  still  rest  there.  Preliminary  excava- 
tions, which  have  been  made  in  the  neighborhood,  have  led 
many  to  believe  that  valuable  relics  of  that  almost  pre-historic 
age  might  be  obtained  by  a  systematic  search. 

Unfortunately,  the  other  fort  site  has  in  years  past  been 
converted  into  a  barnyard  and  much  that  might  have  been 
found  of  great  historical  interest  has  been  obliterated.  How- 
ever, it  will  still  be  possible  to  definitely  locate  the  site  and  a 
suitable  building  to  commemorate  its  associations  will  be 
erected. 

Then  in  the  hills  is  found  the  further  traces  of  the  mound- 
building  Indians.  Scientists  have  been  prone  to  quarrel  over 
the  authenticity  of  the  different  types  of  Indians'  mounds  dis- 
covered in  this  region,  but  nevertheless  there  is  evidence  suf- 
ficient to  convince  the  layman. 


"AND  HERE,  AMID  THE  SILENT  MAJESTY  OF  THESE  DEEP  WOODS. 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS  93 

On  the  canal  side  of  the  preserve  every  turn  in  the  stream 
has  its  own  historical  connections.  It  was  here  that  Father 
Marquette  was  forced  to  land  on  account  of  floods  in  the  course 
of  his  second  and  ill-fated  journey  into  the  "valley  of  the  Il- 
linois." The  spot  has  already  been  marked  by  the  citizens  of 
Summit. 

And  what  will  interest  even  the  man  who  cares  but  little 
for  the  old  sentimental  things,  are  the  springs  from  which  the 
nearby  town  gets  its  name,  Willow  Springs.  '  Here  the  canal 
boat  men  on  the  old  Illinois  and  Michigan  canal  stopped  to  fill 
their  water-barrels. 

But  aside  from  all  the  historical  associations  loaded  down 
on  this  choice  tract  of  forest  land,  there  is  the  natural  lure  of 
the  outdoors  that  is  bound  to  bring  thousands  within  its  boun- 
daries. It  holds  for  the  city  dweller  what  Riley  expressed  so 
well: 

"I'd  rather  lay  out  here  among  the  trees, 

With  the  singin'-birds  and  bumblebees, 

A-knowin'  that  I  can  do  as  I  please, 

Than  live  what  folks  call  a  life  of  ease 

Up  thar  in  the  city." 

Palos  Hills,  if  they  do  no  other  one  thing,  present  the  tired 
business  man  his  opportunity  to  seek  the  absolute  rest  obtain- 
able only  in  the  lap  of  nature  where  one  is  removed  from  all 
vestiges  of  civilization.  It  is  a  region  of  virgin  forest  yet  to 
be  despoiled  by  the  hand  of  man. 

How  to  Get  There — 

Section  3 — Go  south  on  Western  Avenue  to  Ninety-fifth  Street  and 
west  on  Ninety-fifth  to  Kean  Avenue.  Paved  roads  all  the  way. 

Section  4 — Same  road  directions.  By  rail  take  Chicago  and  Joliet 
Electric  Railway  to  Willow  Springs,  where  the  station  is  less  than  300  feet 
from  the  entrance  to  the  preserve. 

Section  5 — Take  Archer  Avenue  to  Fairmount,  either  by  automobile 
or  street  car. 

Sections  7  and  8 — Take  Archer  Avenue  car  to  Maple  Hill  station, 
thence  south  on  Maple  Hill  road  about  500  feet. 

Section  9— Go  south  on  Western  Avenue  to  Ninety-fifth  Street,  west 
on  Ninety-fifth  Street  to  road,  one  and  a  half  miles  west  of  pavement's 
end  to  Ninety-fifth,  then  one-half  mile  south. 

Sections  17  and  18 — South  on  Western  Avenue  to  Ninety-fifth  Street, 
then  west  on  Ninety-fifth  to  Kean  Avenue,  south  on  Kean  Avenue  to 
Bluff  Road  (107th  Street),  west  on  107th  Street  to  the  preserve. 

Section  21 — South  on  Western  Avenue  to  Ninety-fifth   Street,  west 


94 


THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


on  Ninety-fifth  to  Kean  Avenue,  south  on  Kean  Avenue  to  One  Hundred 
and  Nineteenth  Street,  west  on  One  Hundred  and  Nineteenth  one-half 
mile. 

Sections  27  and  28 — Same  as  directions  for  21. 

Sections  22  and  23 — Same  as  directions  for  21,  but  go  east  on  One 
Hundred  and  Nineteenth  Street  three-fourths  mile,  then  north  one-quarter 
mile  to  Palos  Springs  a  short  distance  east  of  the  road. 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS 


95 


TREE  COLONY  IN  SALT  CREEK  REGION. 


Salt  Creek  Valley  Preserve 


In  the  Salt  Creek  Valley  Preserve  you  have  laid  out  be- 
fore you  684  acres  of  forest  landscape  that  has  been  adjudged 
the  aristocracy  in  tree  life  by  scientists  who  know  the  pines 
of  Maine,  the  redwoods  of  California,  and  the  stately  firs  of  the 
North. 

Like  the  Desplaines  Preserve  this  region  is  doubly  attrac- 
tive because  of  its  winding  course,  following  always  the  whims 
of  the  Salt  Creek,  "Lovely  Little  River"  as  the  Indians  were 
wont  to  call  it.  And  none  there  is  to  dispute  the  taste  and 
judgment  of  those  connoisseurs  of  nature. 

How  distinctly  individual  is  this  charming  little  stream, 
the  banks  of  which  have  collaborated  in  the  formation  of  this 
preserve,  is  shown  by  the  state  geographical  survey  which  cred- 
its Salt  Creek  with  being  the  one  body  of  water  in  Illinois  that 
flows  north. 

For  a  mile  and  a  half  this  headstrong  current  upsets  all 
the  geological  precedents  of  the  state  and  flows  directly  north. 
Then  as  if  to  show  its  will  all  its  own  the  stream  makes  an 
absolute  about-face  and  flows  as  directly  south  to  join  with 
the  Desplaines  River — a  contortion  all  executed  within  the 
limits  of  the  preserve. 


96 


THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS  97 

Just  what  the  answer  is  to  this  unusual  acrobatic  tendency 
of  the  Salt  Creek,  none  has  been  able  to  furnish  but  the  neigh- 
boring country  is  as  distinctively  individual.  It  is  a  rolling, 
then  sweeping,  country  that  furnishes  forestry  in  every  phase 
of  growth. 

As  might  be  expected  from  territory  put  up  in  such  original 
form  by  Nature,  we  also  find  here  what  is  probably  the  finest 
natural  golf  course  in  the  country.  And  what  is  most  extra- 
ordinary there  has  at  many  places  been  provided  a  close  ap- 
proach to  natural  putting  greens. 

"Here  is  a  golf  course  the  like  of  which  has  cost  many  golf 
clubs  thousands  upon  thousands  of  dollars  and  in  many  respects 
I  consider  it  superior  to  anything  in  existence",  is  the  report  on 
the  tract  received  from  golf  links  engineers. 

"In  our  opinion  the  expenditure  of  a  few  hundred  dollars 
would  be  the  means  of  throwing  open  a  course  to  the  public", 
the  report  continued.  "Such  a  public  course  set  down  in  the  very 
midst  of  a  primeval  forest  would  be  of  incalculable  value  to  the 
community." 

Included  in  this  preserve  is  the  widely  known  McCormick 
tract  which  embraces  two  picnic  groves  that  have  been  visited 
by  hundreds  of  thousands  every  year  in  the  past.  With  develop- 
ment as  a  part  of  the  Forest  Preserve  District  this  domain  is 
destined  to  treble  its  popularity. 

Rustic  shelters  are  springing  up  in  every  section  of  the  vast 
forest.  With  the  construction  of  numerous  footbridges  cross- 
ing the  creek  the  District  plans  to  add  to  the  public  convenience 
in  traversing  the  ground.  Improved  springs  are  being  estab- 
lished everywhere. 

Shabbona  Valley  might  well  be  the  name  of  this  incom- 
parable tract  for  history  tells  us  how  that  old  Indian  chief, 
later  to  come  into  such  great  favor  with  the  white  settlers 
about  Chicago,  found  here  a  beauty  spot  that  he  placed  above 
everything  else  in  the  "land  of  the  Illinois." 

It  is  said  that  Shabbona  and  his  Pottowatomie  braves  on 
their  travels  to  the  post  at  the  mouth  of  the  "Checaugau  River" 
always  made  a  long  and  arduous  portage  through  the  present 
DuPage  County  territory  for  the  sole  purpose  of  travelling 
through  the  game-infested  Salt  Creek  valley. 

One  of  the  distinctive  features  of  the  Salt  Creek  woods  is 
the  network  of  beaten  paths  that  extends  from  one  end  to  the 
other.  Just  how  these  trails  were  started  no  one  seems  to  know 
but  it  is  perfectly  obvious  that  they  are  laid  with  definite  ob- 


THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


PORTAGE  PRESERVE   (LYONS  TOWNSHIP). 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS 


99 


VIEW  OF  THE  DESPLAINES  NEAR  RIVERSIDE. 


jectives.  Wherever  one  would  want  to  go  there  is  a  well-defined 
trail  leading  there. 

With  this  tract  famed  for  its  bird  life  it  is  probable  that 
under  the  District's  plan  for  future  propagation  of  feathered 
animals  here  will  be  the  scene  of  an  intensified  campaign.  It  is 
the  District's  purpose  to  go  scientifically  about  the  restoration 
of  wild  animal  growth  as  nearly  as  possible. 

To  do  this  it  will  be  necessary  to  make  an  exhaustive  study 
of  the  conditions  under  which  the  wing-propelled  creatures  will 
thrive.  At  the  same  time  it  is  vitally  essential  that  the  causes 
of  decrease  in  such  habitation  of  the  woods  be  discovered  and 
dealt  with  in  an  effective  manner. 

Across  the  Desplaines  River  there  is  what  might  almost 
be  considered  a  southern  extension  of  the  Salt  Creek  preserve. 
It  is  a  small  tract  that  has,  like  many  others,  been  far-famed 
as  a  rendezvous  of  picnickers.  It  is  the  grove  at  Thirty-Ninth 
street  and  Harlem  avenue,  which  will  eventually  styled  the 
Portage  Preserve  because  of  historical  associations. 

There  the  artificial  development  includes  dancing  pavilions, 
shelters,  drinking  fountains  and  comfort  stations  to  accommo- 
date thousands.  Naturally  the  years  of  picnicking  has  resulted 
in  retirement  of  most  animal  life  but  with  strict  supervision  the 
District  hopes  to  bring  the  grove  back  into  its  own  as  a  woodlot 
without  restricting  recreation  there  in  the  least. 


100  THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


How  to  Get  Th 

By  automobile,  take  Jackson  Boulevard  or  Washington  Boulevard  to 
Oak  Park  Avenue,  thence  south  to  Harrison  Street,  west  on  Harrison  to 
Desplaines  Avenue,  south  to  Twelfth  Street,  west  to  Fifth  Avenue,  May- 
wood,  south  to  Salt  Creek  and  LaGrange,  or 

Continue  south  on  Desplaines  Avenue  to  Riverside,  thence  to  Salt 
Creek. 

By  rail,  take  Chicago,  Burlington  and  Quincy  Railroad  to  Hollywood, 
then  walk  north  to  the  Salt  Creek.  By  street  car,  take  Twenty-second 
Street  car  to  Forty-sixth  Avenue,  thence  by  Chicago  and  LaGrange  trolley 
to  Salt  Creek,  or  take  Metropolitan  Elevated  Line  to  Austin  Avenue 
(Sixtieth)  and  thence  by  the  LaGrange  trolley. 


Portage  Preserve 
How  to  Get 


Take   Twenty-Second    Street   car    to    Harlem    Avenue   and    south   to 
Thirty-ninth  Street. 


••-. 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS 


101 


102 


THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


i 


TURNBULL  WOODS  (NEW  TRIER). 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS  103 


North  Branch  Chicago  River 
Preserves 


Starting  with  the  celebrated  Turnbull  tract  of  148  acres 
alongside  the  old  Green  Bay  Indian  trail  and  within  a  half  mile 
of  Lake  Michigan  on  the  north  line  of  the  county  and  running 
south  with  the  north  branch  of  the  Chicago  River,  the  North 
Shore  preserves  constitute  a  playground  for  thousands. 

The  old  Turnbull  tract  situated  on  the  bluffs  over-looking 
the  lake  is  heavily  timbered  with  oak,  elm,  hickory  and  miscel- 
laneous hardwood  trees.  The  property  has  been  owned  by  the 
Turnbulls  since  1852  and  on  it  still  stands  the  family  homestead, 
a  landmark  of  the  early  north  shore  settlement. 

That  territory  along  the  banks  of  the  north  branch  of  the 
river  includes  some  of  the  county's  most  picturesque  timber- 
land,  much  of  it  bordering  upon  the  Skokie  Marsh  and  the 
headwaters  of  the  river,  a  much  traversed  zone  in  the  days  of 
Indians  and  early  white  settlers. 

At  the  northernmost  point  there  is  the  site  of  Father  Binet's 
Mission  of  the  Guardian  Angel,  Chicago's  first  church,  estab- 
lished there  in  the  days  when  the  north  portage  made  this  an 
important  trading  post  for  the  Indians  and  the  Whites,  It  was 
an  institution  of  the  Jesuits  that  survived  only  a  year. 

On  further  south  there  are  the  Badek  woods,  famed  for 
their  wild  flowers,  Harms  woods  with  their  seemingly  inex- 
haustible daisy  fields,  Peterson  woods,  once  the  Cook.  County 
home  of  the  wild  canaries,  the  Cal dwell  Indian  reservation,  the 
Edgebrook  Golf  Course  and  last,  the  gorgeous  Forest  Glen. 

On  the  reservation  there  are  traces  of  the  old  home  of  Billy 
Caldwell,  Sauganash  by  his  Indian  name,  where  he  lived  by 
authority  of  a  government  land  grant  until  the  Indian  removal 
in  1835.  He  left  his  home  to  lead  his  countrymen  westward 
in  accordance  with  the  treaty  they  had  signed. 


104 


THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


CALDWELL   PRESERVE  FROM   MILWAUKEE  AVENUE,  EAST,  CITY  OF 
CHICAGO. 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS 


105 


CALDWELL  PRESERVE  EAST  FROM  CHICAGO,  M.  &  ST.  P.  TRACKS. 


106  THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 

Sauganash,  for  whom  the  first  Chicago  hotel,  now  only  a 
faint  memory,  was  named,  was  probably  the  white  settlers'  best 
friend  among  the  Indian  chieftains  in  the  days  of  the  Fort  Dear- 
born massacre.  He  was  the  means  of  saving  the  members  of 
the  distinguished  Kinzie  family  from  the  general  slaughter. 

In  selecting  this  stretch  of  woodland  along  the  north  branch 
as  a  reward  for  Billy  Caldwell,  the  government  chose  what  was 
already  the  favorite  haunt  of  his  tribesmen.  This  was  the  hunt- 
ing ground  and  home  for  the  Sauganash  braves  supposed  to 
have  been  numbered  at  5,000  at  one  time. 

The  reservation  allotted  to  him  extended  up  to  the  old 
Indian  Boundary  line,  back  of  which  the  redskin  warriors  agreed 
to  remain  by  the  1816  pact.  From  that  point  north  clear  to  the 
county  line  then  was  dotted  with  Indian  villages,  camps  and 
chipping  stations. 

Today  there  still  exists  evidence  of  the  signal  stations  located 
on  bluffs  and  peaks  where  the  Indians  still  a  bit  distrustful  of 
the  Whites  despite  the  treaty  of  peace,  maintained  lookouts 
night  and  day.  In  Glen  View  there  is  a  typical  lookout  station 
which  might  well  be  marked  with  a  statue  of  an  "Indian  on 
the  Alert." 

Accessible  as  these  tracts  are  with  the  network  of  improved 
roads  invading  them  all  and  with  the  steam  railroads  and  elec- 
tric traction  lines  reaching  everywhere,  the  popularity  of  the 
North  Shore  preserves  have  been  established  even  ahead  of  the 
district  organization. 

In  the  latest  addition  to  the  North  Branch  of  the  Chicago 
River  preserves — 193  acres  of  wonderfully  improved  land  in- 
cluding the  famous  Edgebrook  nine  hole  golf  course — the  Dis- 
trict was  able  to  insure  an  increased  popularity  for  this  North 
Shore  recreation  zone. 

That  tract,  lying  wholly  in  the  town  of  Edgebrook,  adjoin- 
ing the  celebrated  LeMoyne  and  Brumel  tracts,  all  bisected  by 
the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  and  St.  Paul  Railroad,  was  the  best  buy 
of  the  year  for  the  District,  The  sporty  golf  course  will  be 
thrown  open  to  the  public  in  the  spring. 

How  to  Get  There — 

To  Forest  Glen,  by  automobile  north  to  Peterson  Avenue,  thence  west 
on  Peterson  to  Forest  Glen  Avenue.  By  street  car,  take  any  northbound 
car  to  Lawrence  Avenue,  transfer  to  North  LeClaire  (Fifty-first  Avenue) 
to  end  of  the  line  and  walk  north  about  three-fourths  mile.  By  rail,  take 
Chicago,  Milwaukee  and  St.  Paul  Railroad  to  Forest  Glen  station,  which 
is  on  south  line  of  the  preserve. 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS  107 

To  Indian  Reservation,  by  auto  and  street  car,  take  Milwaukee  Avenue 
car  to  end  of  the  line.  By  rail,  take  Chicago,  Milwaukee  and  St.  Paul 
Railroad  to  Edgebrook  station  and  then  walk  westerly  about  one  mile. 

To  Turnbull,  by  auto  take  Sheridan  Road  to  county  line,  thence  west 
about  one-half  mile,  or  Green  Bay  Road  to  county  line,  then  east  to  pre- 
serve entrance.  Green  Bay  Road  skirts  preserve.  By  rail,  take  Chicago 
and  Northwestern  Railroad  to  Braeside  station  or  Chicago  and  North 
Shore  Electric  Railway  to  same  station  (county  line)  and  walk  west  one- 
quarter  mile. 

To  Badek,  by  auto  take  Milwaukee  Avenue  to  town  of  Wheeling, 
thence  east  on  Dundee  Road  to  preserve,  one  mile  east  of  village  of  Scher- 
merville,  or  take  Milwaukee  Avenue  and  Waukegan  Road  to  Schermer- 
ville,  then  northeast  one  mile  to  the  Dundee  Road  and  the  preserve,  or  take 
Sheridan  Road  to  Glencoe,  then  west  on  the  Wheeling  Road  to  just  west  of 
the  Chicago  and  Northwestern  Railroad  (the  Lake  Bluff  cut-off).  By  rail, 
take  Chicago,  Milwaukee  and  St.  Paul  Railroad  to  Schermerville  and  walk 
east  about  one  mile  to  Dundee  Road  and  the  preserve. 

To  Glenview,  by  auto  take  Milwaukee  Avenue  to  north  line  of  the  vil- 
lage of  Niles,  thence  north  on  the  Chicago  and  Waukegan  Road  to  point 
opposite  Golf  Station,  thence  east  through  golf  links  to  preserve,  or  take 
Milwauke  avenue  to  Glenview  Road,  thence  east  to  about  one  mile  east  of 
the  village  of  Glenview,  or  take  Lincoln  Avenue  through  Niles  Center  to 
Harms  Road  to  preserve,  or  Sheridan  Road  to  Church  Street,  or  Central 
Street,  Evanston,  or  to  Lake  Street,  Wilmette,  and  then  west  about  four 
miles  to  Harms  Road  and  the  preserve,  or  take  Broadway  and  turn  north- 
west en  Ridge  Road  to  Church  Street,  Evanston,  then  west  four  miles  to 
Harms  Road  to  center  of  preserve.  By  rail  take  Chicago,  Milwaukee  and 
St.  Paul  Railroad  to  Golf  Station  and  then  walk  east  about  one  mile  on 
road  through  golf  club  to  preserve,  or  take  Chicago  and  Northwestern 
Railroad  or  Northwestern  Elevated  Lines  to  Central  Street,  Evanston; 
take  Central  Street  car  to  end  of  line,  take  trolley  line  to  Glenview  Golf 
Club  and  the  preserves. 


108 


THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS 


109 


Beverly  Hills  Preserve 


BEVERLY  HILLS  PRESERVE  (CHICAGO). 


110 


THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


In  Beverly  Hills,  the  southern  end  of  Cook  County  has  a 
real  beauty  spot.  It  is  a  preserve  only  126  acres  in  extent  but 
for  its  acreage  it  boasts  more  spectacular  points  of  interest  than 
any  other  stretch  of  forest  land  in  the  county.  It  is  an  ideal 
natural  park. 

If  there  was  not  another  single  attractive  feature  about  the 
entire  preserve  the  Indian  lookout  station,  for  which  the  tract 
has  long  been  famous,  would  be  justification  for  establishment 
of  a  public  park  here.  It  has  long  been  recognized  as  a  his- 
torical attraction. 

Standing  in  the  center  of  this  beautifully  wooded  spot  is  the 
towering  bluff  which  the  Indian  warriors  utilized  as  a  lookout 
and  signal  station  in  the  days  when  they  were  fighting  to  hold 
their  homes  against  the  invading  white  men.  It  was  the  Indian 
general  headquarters. 

Situated  as  it  was  where  reports  of  scouts  on  the  hated 
white  man's  activities  could  be  received  quickly  from  the  shores 
of  Lake  Michigan  which  invaders  from  the  east  were  wont  to 
follow  and  from  the  valley  of  the  Illinois  used  by  those  from 
the  south,  the  Indians  found  great  advantages  here. 

With  the  reports  that  necessitated  a  marshalling  of  forces 
to  give  combat  this  signal  station  atop  the  "Beverly  Bluff"  would 
burst  into  flames.  Those  were  the  bonfires  which  produced 
the  ribbons  of  smokes  running  into  the  sky  and  giving  warning 
to  allied  tribes  for  miles  around. 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS  111 

Furthermore  the  Beverly  Hills  preserve  is  among  the  best 
improved  in  the  county  system.  Its  Indian  associations  have 
resulted  in  its  being  a  favorite  spot  for  study  among  school 
children  and  for  the  convenience  of  these  parties  shelters  and 
all  sorts  of  public  conveniences  have  been  erected. 

And  added  to  all  these  features  bound  to  result  in  a  popu- 
larity with  the  general  public,  this  preserve  unit  has  the  dis- 
tinction of  being  the  one  accessible  to  all  of  Chicago  on  a  five 
cent  fare.  Further  it  is  bounded  on  all  sides  by  hard  roads 
of  the  most  improved  type. 

How  to  Get  There — 

By  automobile,  take  Michigan  Boulevard  south  to  Garfield  Boulevard, 
west  to  Western  Avenue,  south  to  Eighty-fifth  Street,  which  is  the  north 
line  of  the  preserve. 

By  street  car,  take  Ashland  Avenue  car  to  Eighty-seventh  Street  and 
walk  west  one-half  mile  to  the  eastern  boundary  line  of  the  preserve. 

By  rail,  take  Rock  Island  Railroad  from  La  Salle  Street  station  to 
Beverly  Hills  station  and  walk  one  block  west  to  preserve. 


112 


THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


The  Thornton  and  Glenwood 
Preserves 


In  the  Thornton  and  Glenwood  tracts,  almost  directly  south 
past  Blue  Island,  Harvey  and  Homewood,  there  is  a  big  acreage 
of  rugged  timber — the  site  of  one  of  the  Indian  strongholds  in 
the  days  when  the  French  were  striving  to  make  this  country 
a  part  of  their  possessions. 

It  was  the  scene  of  a  bitter  conflict  between  the  Iroquois 
Indians  and  the  allied  Pottowatomies,  Chippewas  and  Ottawas 
in  the  still  earlier  days  when  those  Redmen  from  New  York 
State  undertook  to  subjugate  the  braves  in  the  Illinois  valley. 
This  was  as  far  as  the  invaders  were  able  to  go. 

And  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  this  primeval 
forest  hunters  for  relics  are  still  picking  up  spear  heads  and 
such  primitive  utensils  of  warfare  that  were  undoubtedly  used 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS 


113 


HOMEWOOD — LANSING  ROAD,  SKIRTED  BY  PRESERVES. 


in   that   sanguinary   battle.      Hundreds    upon   hundreds   of   the 
savage  warriors  fell  during  the  days  and  days  of  fighting. 

The  Thornton  tract,  situated  as  it  is  on  the  very  edge  of 
the  town  of  Thornton  which  has  sprung  upon  the  site  of  the 
original  Indian  village  as  shown  by  the  Scharf  maps,  has  long 
been  a  favorite  with  the  present  day  citizenship.  Its  improve- 
ments make  it  doubly  popular  for  recreation  seekers. 

The  Glenwood  tract,  bordering  upon  the  grounds  of  the 
Glenwood  Training  School  for  Boys,  has  been  developed  as  a 
great  outdoor  schoolroom  for  nature  studies.  And  best  of  all 
the  electric  and  steam  railroads  skirt  the  preserves,  within  a 
mile  of  their  borders  at  all  points. 

One  of  the,  outstanding  features  of  the  Thornton  tract 
is  the  mineral  water  available  there  in  unlimited  quantities.  Wells 
flowing  throughout  that  region  of  majestic  oak  trees  will  event- 
ually be  developed  into  a  revenue  producer  for  the  District. 


114 


THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


Wells  producing  the  identical  water  on  adjoining  territory 
have  been  commercialized  these  many  years  and  for  hundreds 
of  miles  about  the  country  the  Thornton  water,  of  which  little 
is  known  locally,  is  purchased  as  a  panacea  of  all  ills. 

Thorn  Creek  winding  its  way  the  length  of  the  Thornton 
and  Glenwood  tracts  is  responsible  for  many  picturesque  scenes 
that  are  ever  a  delight  to  picnickers.  Rustic  bridges,  of  which 
there  will  be  scores,  add  to  the  scenic  beauty  of  the  zone. 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS  115 


How  to  Get  There — 

To  Thornton  by  auto,  take  Michigan  Boulevard  south  to  Garfield 
Boulevard,  west  to  Normal  Boulevard,  south  to  Marquette  Road,  west  to 
Halsted  Street,  south  to  One  Hundred  and  Forty-seventh  Street,  west  to 
Center  avenue,  Harvey;  south  to  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-fourth  Street, 
east  to  Blue  Island  road  and  south  to  Thornton.  Preserve  lies  south  of 
village  and  east  of  C.  &  E.  I.  Railroad. 

By  street  car,  take  Halsted  Street  car  to  Sixty-third  Street  Elevated 
Railroad  station  and  take  Crete  Electric  Line  to  Franklin  depot  and  walk 
east  one  mile  to  Thornton. 

By  rail,  take  Chicago  and  Eastern  Illinois  Railroad  from  Dearborn 
Street  station  to  Thornton,  station  within  walking  distance  of  preserve. 

To  Glenwood,  by  auto  same  route  as  to  Thornton,  thence  south  one 
and  one-half  miles  to  preserve,  which  lies  one-half  mile  west  of  village. 

By  street  car,  same  route  as  to  Thornton,  only  continue  on  Crete 
Electric  to  Glenwood  station  and  walk  one  mile  east  to  preserve. 

By  rail,  take  C.  &  E.  I.  Railroad  from  Dearborn  Street  station  to 
Glenwood  station  and  walk  east  to  preserve. 


116 


THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS  117 


The  Chicago  Heights 
Preserves 


Down  at  the  junction  of  the  Dixie  and  Lincoln  highways 
the  Chicago  Heights  preserve,  in  two  sections  which  are  con- 
nected by  the  beautiful  park  system  in  the  city  of  Chicago 
Heights,  is  a  vast  region  of  woodland  that  one  day  will  be  a 
marvel  among  public  park  systems. 

For  miles  it  runs  along  the  Little  Calumet.  Through  it 
runs  two  of  the  most  important  highways  of  Indian  days — the 
Sauk  trail,  east  and  west,  and  the  Vincennes  trail,  north  and 
south,  the  latter  being  the  scene  of  Hubbard's  ride,  a  feat  al- 
most as  important  in  Northwest  history  as  Paul  Revere's. 

It  was  at  the  time  when  the  white  settlement  about  the 
mouth  of  the  Chicago  river  was  threatened  with  extinction  by 
the  Indian  uprising  that  became  known  as  the  Winnebago  Wars. 
The  nearest  help  for  the  whites  was  the  fort  at  Vincennes,  In- 
diana. How  to  get  word  there  was  the  problem. 

Gurdon  Hubbard,  one  of  the  daring  pioneers,  solved  the 
problem.  He  mounted  his  horse  and  started  for  Vincennes,  a 
journey  that  was  in  those  days  a  most  perilous  one  in  times  of 
peace.  The  settlers  never  expected  him  back  that  day  he  set 
out  through  the  woods  infested  by  the  war-painted  bloodthirsty 
Indians. 


118  THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 

Ponds,  lakes  and  monster  springs  abound  in  this  region 
already  plentifully  supplied  with  water  by  the  running  streams, 
Little  Calumet  and  Thorn  Creek.  Ravines,  many  of  which 
represent  depths  running  close  to  a  hundred  feet,  contribute 
to  the  grandeur. 

Oak  and  walnut  run  each  other  a  close  race  for  predom- 
inance in  this  splendid  run  of  timber.  Throughout  the  region 
boasts  of  a  forest  turf  such  as  puts  the  finishing  touch  of  the 
recreational  side  of  woodland.  It  is  what  might  be  styled  the 
ideal  forest. 

How  to  Get  There — 

By  automobile,  take  Michigan  Boulevard  south  to  Garfield  Boule- 
vard, west  to  Western  Avenue,,  south  on  Western  Avenue  and  Dixie  High- 
way to  South  Chicago  Heights,  west  along  "Sauk  Trail"  road,  one-half 
mile  to  preserve. 

By  street  car,  take  Halsted  Street  car  to  Sixty-third  Street  Elevated 
Railroad  Station  and  take  Crete  Electric  Line  to  South  Chicago  Heights 
and  walk  one-half  mile  west  along  Sauk  Trail  Road  to  preserve. 

By  rail,  take  Chicago  and  Eastern  Illinois  Railroad  from  Dearborn 
Street  station  to  Chicago  Heights,  Crete  Electric  Line  to  South  Chicago 
Heights  and  walk  one-half  mile  west  along  Sauk  Trail  Road  to  preserve. 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS 


119 


120  THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


Elk  Grove  Preserve 


As  one  of  Chicago  pioneers  has  so  aptly  put  it,  "Tell  me 
what  the  Indians  called  this  place  and  I  will  tell  you  what 
there  is  worth  while  about  it."  Such  is  the  case  with  the  Elk 
Grove  woods,  1,600  acres  constituting  another  northwest  pre- 
serve. 

"The  Land  of  Bubbling  Springs"  was  the  name  by  which 
they  designated  this  stretch  of  hardwood  forest  punctuated  by 
pure  water  springs  giving  rise  to  little  streams  that  give  joy 
to  the  little  ones  and  grown-ups  alike. 

Along  the  entire  west  boundary  of  the  preserve,  which  is 
destined  to  become  one  of  the  most  popular  of  the  entire  string, 
the  historical  Salt  Creek  finds  its  serene  way,  banked  on  either 
side  by  lofty  elms  and  Gibraltar-like  oaks. 

The  whole  interior,  webbed  with  roads  and  trails,  presents 
a  realm  made  to  order  for  the  lover  of  outdoors  in  its  natural 
state.  It  has  been  estimated  that  on  this  tract  more  millions 
of  feet  of  nut-bearing  timber  has  been  spared  by  lumbermen 
than  on  any  tract  in  existence. 

For  the  one  who  loves  to  roam  for  hours  without  even  a 
semblance  of  civilization  presenting  itself,  here  is  the  spot. 
The  claim  has  been  made  that  before  the  days  of  designated 
trails  visitors  have  been  known  to  wander  through  these  woods 
from  morning  till  night  looking  for  the  way  out. 

And  what  would  the  redskin  of  a  hundred  years  ago  say 
were  he  to  gaze  upon  his  "land  of  bubbling  springs"  today? 
Bubbling,  these  springs  still  flow  on  but  today  they  are  the 
mecca  of  thousands  who  feast  upon  the  waters  as  though  it 
was  some  new-found  elixir  of  life. 

And,  perhaps,  they  are  not  far  off.  Chemists  employed  by 
the  district  officers  have  made  analyses  of  these  waters  and 
have  found  a  100  per  cent  score*.  Eventually  it  is  the  scheme 
to  give  some  appropriate  name  to  each  of  the  improved 
springs. 

One  feature  that  every  visitor  to  the  Elk  Grove  Preserve 
is  going  to  appreciate  is  the  arrangement  by  which  all  points 
of  interest  will  be  easily  accessible  in  maze  of  forestry.  These 
guide  maps  will  be  what  the  balls  of  yarn  were  to  the  mythical 
labyrinth  prisoners. 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS  121 


OLD  ALGONQUIN  TRAIL  (ELK  GROVE). 


122  THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


Next  to  the  spring-water,  this  preserve  might  well  enjoy 
a  national  reputation  as  a  squirrel  refuge.  Despite  the  ravages 
of  hunters  in  years  gone  past  this  1,600-acre  tract  today  stands 
as  the  greatest  expanse  of  squirrel-inhabited  wood  in  the  coun- 
try. 

This  is  probably  due  to  the  inexhaustible  supply  of  nuts 
produced  each  year  on  the  thousands  and  thousands  of  walnut 
and  hickory  nut  trees  found  in  the  tract.  Those  who  have 
made  studies  of  the  wild  life  of  this  forest  have  found  every 
variety  of  squirrels. 

As  would  be  expected,  there  is  the  same  prevalence  of  bird 
life  in  this  incomparable  woodland  with  its  density  of  forest, 
its  mixed  growth  and  its  undergrowth — all  features  that  go  to 
make  territory  preferable  in  the  eyes  of  wild  animals. 

As  the  Salt  Creek  follows  the  west  boundary  of  the  pre- 
serve, so  the  state  road  follows  the  east  boundary,  bringing 
motorists  at  many  points  within  easy  walking  distance  of  the 
springs  for  which  the  district  is  famed. 

Then  there  is  the  highly  improved  Higgins  road  that 
shoots  its  way  directly  through  the  forest.  For  the  driver 
seeking  something  different  there  are  countless  trails,  passable 
as  drives,  leading  from  these  roads  into  the  heart  of  the  forest. 

Duck  swamps  found  here  and  there  through  the  woodland 
are  probably  the  explanation  of  the  thing  that  brought  the  In- 
dians here  for  the  discovery  of  the  spring  water.  Though  his- 
tory tells  of  no  spectacular  activities  in  Indian  days  there  are 
many  things  to  show  its  popularity  among  the  original  inhab- 
itants. 

Discovery  of  Indian  heads  at  all  parts  of  the  forest  have 
demonstrated  that  the  Indians,  in  their  days  of  peace  and  in 
their  days  of  war,  did  not  overlook  this  dense  patch.  Early 
settlers  have  told  of  temporary  camps  always  to  be  found  near 
the  Elk  Grove  springs. 

The  dense  character  of  this  tract  is  best  illustrated  by  an 
interesting  story  of  the  Indian  day  activities  that  is  worth  re- 
peating though  historians  have  given  it  no  recognition.  It 
shows  how  the  redmen  appreciated  this  spot  as  a  safe  retreat. 

Some  time  before  the  Fort  Dearborn  massacre  the  soldiers 
and  settlers  about  the  Fort  received  their  first  intimation  of 
impending  Indian  troubles  by  a  preliminary  massacre  per- 
petrated on  the  so-called  Hardscrabble  farm,  a  few  miles  south 
of  the  Fort  on  the  Chicago  River. 

A  small  band  of  Winnebago  Indians  was  responsible  for 
that  outrage  and  tradition  has  it  that,  respecting  the  military 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS  123 

force  which  was  more  or  less  of  an  unknown  quantity  to  them, 
they  took  refuge  on  these  thicketed  banks  of  Salt  Creek  at  the 
junction  of  the  present  Schaumburg  Creek. 

However,  as  the  story  runs,  the  blood-thirsty  Indians 
maintained  a  cautious  lookout  here  for  days  while  they  coun- 
selled with  one  another  in  plans  for  further  ravages  and  to  date 
the  explorers  of  this  region  have  been  unable  to  discover  any 
probable  station  for  that  lookout. 

How  to  Get  There — 

By  automobile  take  Milwaukee  Avenue  to  Higgins  Road,  thence  west 
and  northwest  direct  into  preserve. 

By     rail    take    Chicago    and    Northwestern    Railroad    to    Arlington 
Heights,  thence  direct  south  on  highway  that  leads  to  preserve. 


124 


THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


Miscellaneous  Preserves 


M  i  s  c  e  1  laneous 
tracts  acquired  here 
and  there  over  the 
county  constitute 
some  of  the  most  val- 
uable property  now 
in  the  hands  of  the 
Forest  Preserve  Dis- 
trict of  Cook  County. 
As  an  instance,  the  Murphy  tract  of  350  acres  in  Lyons  town- 
ship near  Willow  Springs  may  be  cited. 

There  the  Forest  Preserve  District  has  thrown  its  protec- 
tive hand  over  a  picturesque  bit  of  wooded  land  that  has  for 
years  been  the  delight  of  city  and  country  folks  alike  bent  on 
recreation.  It  is  conveniently  located  on  the  perfectly  im- 
proved Joliet  road. 

For  miles  and  miles  the  splendid  hardwood  forests  with 
their  ever-interesting  flower  and  animal  life  are  stretched  out 
before  the  visitor.  Winding  trails  that  lead  to  the  innermost 
recesses  of  this  virgin  forest  make  the  spot  doubly  attractive 
for  picnickers. 

In  the  same  way  seven  acres  of  rugged  forest,  preserved 
as  if  by  magic  within  the  borders  of  the  town  of  Evanston,  has 
come  into  the  hands  of  the  District.  That  recreation  zone, 
despite  its  diminutive  size,  is  bound  to  develop  into  the  Dis- 
trict's most  popular  spot. 

Trees  of  an  age  estimated  generally  between  100  and  200 
years  abound  in  this  section.  Furthermore,  the  seven-acre 
tract  has  won  a  country-wide  reputation  for  its  fields  of  wild 
flowers.  In  years  past,  this  wooded  tract  has  produced  mil- 
lions upon  millions  of  spring  beauties  and  practically  every 
known  variety  of  wild  blossoms. 

Then  at  West  Hammond,  the  District  in  the  purchase  of 
137  acres  of  Cook  County's  "forest  of  big  trees"  has  laid  the 
basis  for  an  inter-state  park.  Situated  as  the  tract  is  on  the 
Illinois-Indiana  land  it  is  destined  to  development  as  the  great 
playground  of  the  people  of  the  two  states. 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS  125 

This  is  exceptionally  heavily  wooded  territory.  Walnut, 
oak  and  maple  predominate  in  this  forest  which  is  some  mirac- 
ulous fashion  has  escaped  the  ravages  of  the  wood  cutters  in 
generations  past.  It  is  a  realm  of  fully  developed  trees  and 
in  consequence  still  boasts  of  being  a  refuge  for  most  of  the 
native  wild  game  and  birds. 

In  the  acquisition  of  a  hundred-odd  acres  of  fertile  soil 
adjoining  the  Oak  Forest  Infirmary  the  District  came  into  pos- 
session of  a  tract  ideally  fitted  for  establishment  of  a  sheep 
graze  and  nurseries  with  which  the  big  reforestration  project 
will  be  fed. 

Murphy  Tract 
How  to  Get  There — 

Take  Twelfth  Street  on  Twenty-second  Street,  to  Fifth  Avenue,  La- 
Grange,  thence  south  to  preserve. 

West  Hammond  Tract 

How  to  Get  There — 

Go  to  Hammond,  Indiana,  by  rail  and  take  street  car  to  southermost 
end  of  West  Hammond.  It  is  located  in  Illinois — Indiana  State  line  road. 

Oak  Forest  Tract 

How  to  Get  There — 

Take  Chicago,  Rock  Island  and  Pacific  Railroad  to  Oak  Forest  sta- 
tion. 

Evanston  Woods 

How  to  Get  There — 

Take  Northwestern  Elevated  line  to  Central  street,  and  street  car  to 
preserve. 


126  THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


AN  ORDINANCE 

ESTABLISHING  RULES  AND  REGULATIONS  FOR  THE  USE  OF  THE 

FOREST  PRESERVES  OF  COOK  COUNTY,  AND  PRESCRIBING 

FINES  FOR  THE  VIOLATION  OF  THE  SAME. 

Passed  May  20,  1918. 

BE  IT  ORDAINED,  by  the  Board  of  Forest  Preserve  Commis- 
sioners for  the  Forest  Preserve  District  of  Cook  County. 


CHAPTER  IX 
PROTECTION  OF  FOREST  PRESERVES 

Section  76.  Railroads.  Section  80.  Permit — Deposit. 

Section  77.  Penalty.  Section  81.  Refunding  Deposit. 

Section  78.  Wires,  Cables,  Pipes.         Section  82.  Bond. 

Section  79.  Penalty.  Section  83.  Revocation  of  Permits. 

Railroads 

SECTION  76.  No  person,  firm  or  corporation  shall  lay  or 
maintain  any  railroad  or  street  car  track  or  tracks,  in  or  upon 
any  part  of  the  property  owned  and  controlled  by  the  District 
without  having  first  obtained  an  ordinance  from  the  Board  of  the 
District  authorizing  the  laying  and  maintaining  of  such  tracks 
and  also  having  obtained  a  permit  specifying  in  detail  the  work 
to  be  done  pursuant  to  the  terms  of  such  ordinance. 

Penalty 

SECTION  77.  Any  person,  firm  or  corporation  laying  or 
maintaining  any  track  or  tracks  in  violation  of  the  above  sec- 
tion or  without  complying  with  the  terms  of  said  ordinance  and 
permit  shall  be  fined  not  less  than  One  Hundred  Dollars  nor 
more  than  Two  Hundred  Dollars  and  pay  a  further  penalty  of 
One  Hundred  Dollars  a  day  for  each  and  every  day  such  track 
or  tracks  shall  remain  in  the  preserve,  where  said  tracks  have 
been  laid  without  such  ordinance  and  permit  or  in  violation  of 
the  terms  of  any  ordinance  or  permit  granted. 

The  Forester  may  cause  such  track  or  tracks  to  be  imme- 
diately removed  from  said  preserve  at  the  expense  of  said  per- 
son, firm  or  corporation  laying  or  maintaining  them. 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS  127 

Wires,  Cables,  Pipes 

SECTION  78.  No  telephone,  telegraph  or  electric  light  wires 
or  cables,  nor  any  conductors  of  power  nor  any  wires  or  ropes 
of  any  kind  shall  be  suspended  or  strung  aerially  over  or  across 
or  upon  any  of  the  property  owned  and  controlled  by  the  Dis- 
trict, nor  shall  any  supporting  posts  or  columns  used  for  carry- 
ing such  wires,  cables  or  ropes  be  erected  or  allowed  to  stand 
upon  any  of  the  property  of  the  District,  nor  shall  any  wires, 
cables,  or  pipes  of  any  kind  and  for  any  purpose  be  placed  upon 
or  below  the  surface  of  any  property  owned  and  controlled  by 
the  District  without  having  first  obtained  an  ordinance  from  the 
Board  of  the  District  authorizing  the  stringing  aerially  of  such 
wires,  cables  or  ropes,  or  the  laying  upon  or  below  the  surface 
of  such  wires,  cables,  ropes  or  pipes  and  also  having  obtained 
a  permit  specifying  in  detail  the  work  to  be  done  pursuant  to  the 
terms  of  such  ordinance. 

Penalty 

SECTION  79.  Any  person,  firm  or  corporation  stringing 
aerially  such  wires,  cables  or  ropes  or  laying  upon  or  below  the 
surface,  such  wires,  cables,  ropes  or  pipes  in  violation  of  the 
foregoing  section  or  without  complying  with  the  terms  of  said 
ordinances  and  permit,  shall  be  fined  not  less  than  One  Hundred 
Dollars  nor  more  than  Two  Hundred  Dollars  and  pay  a  further 
fine  of  Twenty-five  Dollars  a  day  for  each  and  every  day  such 
wires,  cables,  ropes  or  pipes  shall  remain  on  the  premises  of  the 
District.  The  Forester  may  cause  such  wires,  cables,  ropes,  pipes, 
posts  or  columns  to  be  immediately  removed  from  said  premises 
at  the  expense  of  said  person,  firm,  or  corporation. 

Permit — Deposit 

SECTION  80.  The  applicant  for  a  permit  to  do  or  perform 
any  act  for  which  a  permit  is  required  under  any  Section  of  this 
ordinance,  or  any  other  ordinance  of  the  District,  shall,  before 
such  permit  shall  issue,  deposit  with  the  Secretary  a  sum  of 
money  sufficient  to  cover  all  expense  that  may  be  incurred  on 
account  of  the  issuance  of  such  permit. 

Such  deposit  shall  be  held  by  the  District  as  a  guaranty 
that  all  the  conditions  prescribed  in  such  permit  shall  be  kept 
and  complied  with,  and  that  no  injury  shall  be  done  or  happen 
to  the  Preserve,  and  that  the  Board  and  its  officers  shall  be 
fully  indemnified  against  and  saved  harmless  from  all  damages 
and  costs  which  may  ensue  from  any  act  done  or  omitted  under 
such  permit.  Thereupon  the  Secretary  may  issue  such  permit, 


128  THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


stating  all  the  conditions  under  which  the  same  is  issued,  and 
particularly  limiting  therein  the  time  in  which  the  act  permit- 
ted must  be  done. 

Refunding  Deposit 

SECTION  81.  After  the  work  shall  have  been  done,  for 
which  such  permit  was  issued,  all  excavations  caused  thereby 
shall  be  refilled  and  the  premises  restored  to  their  former  con- 
dition at  the  sole  expense  of  the  person,  firm,  or  corporation, 
to  whom  such  permit  was  issued,  if  necessary  by  the  employees 
of  the  District.  After  deducting  the  actual  expense  incurred 
in  connection  with  the  work  done  under  such  permit,  the  Sec- 
retary shall  refund  to  the  person  entitled  thereto,  the  balance, 
if  any,  of  the  amount  deposited. 

Bond 

SECTION  82.  Before  issuing  a  permit  to  do  any  work  in 
these  ordinances  provided  for,  the  Secretary  shall,  if  required 
by  the  Board,  take  from  the  applicant  a  Bond  in  the  sum  fixed 
by  the  ordinance  or  the  Board,  indemnifying  said  Board 
against  any  loss,  claim,  expense,  damages  or  claim  for  dam- 
ages on  account  of  any  injury  to  persons  or  property,  whether 
that  of  the  District  or  otherwise,  which  may  be  occasioned  by 
or  result  from  the  issuing  of  such  permit  or  the  use  of  the 
Property  of  the  District,  for  the  purposes  stated  in  said  permit. 

Revocation  of  Permits 

SECTION  83.  Any  permit  issued  under  the  provisions  of 
this  Chapter  may  be  revoked  at  any  time  upon  the  order  of 
the  President  by  the  Secretary  and  such  fact  shall  be  printed 
on  the  face  of  each  permit. 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS 


129 


CHAPTER  X 
PROTECTION  OF  TIMBER 


Section  84. 

Erecting  Fences. 

Section  85. 

Destroying  Fences. 

Section  86. 

Penalty. 

Section  87. 

Obstruction. 

Section  88. 

Penalty. 

Section  89. 

Destruction  of  Survey 

Corners  o 

r  Marks. 

Section  90. 

Penalty. 

Section  91. 

Protection  of  Antiqui- 

ties. 

Section  92. 

Penalty. 

Section  93. 

Stock  Trespass. 

Section  94. 

Penalty. 

Section  95. 

Cutting    or    Removing 

Timber. 

Section  96. 

Penalty. 

Section  97. 

Chipping     or     Boxing 

Trees. 

Section  98.     Penalty. 

Section  99.  Setting  Timber  on 
Fire. 

Section  100.     Penalty. 

Section  101.  Building  Fire  Near 
Timber — Failure  to  Extinguish. 

Section  102.     Penalty. 

Section  103.  Places  to  Build  Fires 
In  Designated. 

Section  104.  Using  Combustible 
Gun  Wads  —  Carrying  Naked 
Torches. 

Section  105.  Throwing  Away  Light- 
ed Matches,  Etc. 

Section  106.  Destroying  Fire  No- 
tices. 

Section  107.     Penalty. 


Erecting  Fences 

SECTION  84.  No  person,  firm,  or  corporation  shall  erect, 
construct  or  maintain  any  fence  within  any  Preserve  or  assert 
a  right  to  the  exclusive  use  and  occupany  of  any  part  of  any 
Preserve,  without  having  first  obtained  a  permit  in  writing  from 
the  Board  for  the  erection,  construction  or  maintenance  of  such 
fence,  or  a  license  for  the  use  and  occupancy  of  such  inclosure. 

The  Forester  is  hereby  authorized  to  take  such  measures  as 
shall  be  necessary  to  remove  and  destroy  such  unlawful  inclosure 
at  the  expense  of  the  trespasser. 

Destroying  Fences 

SECTION  85.  No  person,  firm,  or  corporation  shall  break, 
open,  remove,  or  destroy  any  gate,  fence,  hedge,  or  wall  inclos- 
ing any  land  owned  and  controlled  by  the  District. 

The  Forester  is  hereby  authorized  to  repair,  close,  replace 
or  rebuild  any  gate,  fence,  hedge,  or  wall  so  broken,  opened,  re- 
moved, or  destroyed  at  the  expense  of  the  trespasser. 

Penalty 

SECTION  86.  Any  person,  firm  or  corporation  violating  any 
of  the  provisions  in  Sections  84  and  85  or  who  shall  aid,  abet, 
counsel,  advise  or  assist  in  any  violation  thereof,  shall  be  fined 


130  THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 

in  a  sum  of  not  less  than  Twenty-five  Dollars  and  not  more  than 
One  Hundred  Dollars,  or  be  imprisoned  not  exceeding  six  months, 
or  both,  for  each  offense. 

Obstruction 

SECTION  87.  No  person,  firm,  or  corporation  shall  by  force, 
threats,  intimidations  or  by  any  unlawful  fencing  or  inclosing 
or  any  other  unlawful  means,  prevent  or  obstruct,  or  shall  com- 
bine and  confederate  with  orders  to  prevent  or  obstruct,  any 
person  from  peaceably  entering  upon  any  preserve  of  the  Dis- 
trict or  prevent  or  obstruct  free  passage  or  transit  over  or  through 
any  preserve  of  the  District. 

Penalty 

SECTION  88.  Any  person  violating  any  provision  of  said 
Section  87,  or  aiding,  abetting,  counseling,  advising,  or  assisting 
in  any  violation  thereof,  shall  be  fined,  in  a  sum  of  not  less  than 
Ten  Dollars  and  not  more  than  One  Hundred  Dollars. 

Destruction  of  Survey  Corners  or  Marks 

SECTION  89.  No  person  shall  wilfully  destroy,  deface, 
change  or  remove  to  another  place  any  section  corner,  quarter 
section  corner  or  meander  post,  or  any  line  of  survey,  or  shall 
wilfully  cut  down  any  witness  tree  or  any  tree  blazed  to  mark 
the  line  of  survey,  or  shall  wilfully  deface,  change  or  remove 
any  monument  or  bench  mark  of  any  survey. 

Penalty 

SECTION  90.  Any  person  violating  any  clause  or  provision 
of  the  foregoing  section  shall  be  subject  to  a  fine  of  not  less  than 
Twenty-five  Dollars,  and  not  more  than  One  Hundred  Dollars, 
or  be  imprisoned  not  more  than  six  months  or  both,  for  each 
offense. 

Protection  of  Antiquities 

SECTION  91.  No  person,  shall  appropriate,  excavate,  in- 
jure or  destroy  any  historic  or  prehistoric  ruin  or  monument  or 
any  object  of  antiquity  situated  on  land  owned  and  controlled 
by  the  District,  without  the  permit  of  the  Board  of  the  District. 

Penalty 

SECTION  92.  Any  person  violating  any  provision  of  Sec- 
tion 91  shall  be  fined  not  less  than  Ten  Dollars  and  not  more 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS  131 

than  Two  Hundred  Dollars  or  be  imprisoned  not  more  than  six 
months,  or  both,  for  each  offense. 

Stock  Trespass 

SECTION  93.  No  person  shall  drive  any  cattle,  horses,  hogs, 
or  other  live  stock  upon  any  lands  of  the  District  for  the  pur- 
pose of  destroying  the  grass  or  trees  on  said  lands,  or  where 
they  may  destroy  the  said  grass  or  trees  and  no  person  shall 
knowingly  permit  his  cattle,  horses,  hogs,  or  other  live  stock  to 
enter  through  any  inclosure  upon  any  such  lands  of  the  District 
where  such  cattle,  hogs,  or  other  live  stock  may  or  can  destroy 
the  grass  or  trees  or  other  property  of  the  District  on  said  lands 
without  the  permit  or  license  of  the  Board  of  the  District. 

Penalty 

SECTION  94.  Any  person  violating  any  provision  of  Sec- 
tion 93  shall  be  fined  not  less  than  Ten  Dollars  nor  more  than 
One  Hundred  Dollars  or  be  imprisoned  not  more  than  six  months, 
or  both,  for  each  offense. 

Cutting  or  Removing  Timber 

SECTION  95.  No  person  shall  cut,  or  cause,  or  procure  to 
be  cut,  or  shall  wantonly  destroy,  or  cause  to  be  wantonly  de- 
stroyed, any  timber  growing  on  land  owned  by  the  District,  or 
remove  or  cause  to  be  removed,  any  timber  from  said  land. 

Penalty 

SECTION  96.  Any  person  violating  any  provision  of  the 
above  section  shall  be  fined  not  less  than  Twenty-five  Dollars, 
and  not  more  than  Two  Hundred  Dollars,  or  be  imprisoned  not 
more  than  six  months,  or  both,  for  each  offense. 

Chipping  or  Boxing  Trees 

SECTION  97.  No  person  shall  cut,  chip,  chop,  or  box  any 
tree  on  land  owned  by  the  District,  for  pitch,  turpentine,  or  any 
other  substance,  or  shall  knowingly  encourage,  cause,  procure, 
or  aid  in  the  cutting,  chipping,  chopping,  or  boxing  of  any  such 
tree,  or  shall  buy,  trade  for,  or  in  any  manner  acquire  any  pitch, 
turpentine,  or  other  substance,  or  any  article  or  commodity  from 
any  pitch,  turpentine,  or  other  substance,  so  obtained  from  said 
land. 


132  THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


Penalty 

SECTION  98.  Any  person  violating  any  provision  of  the 
above  section,  shall  be  fined  not  less  than  Twenty-five  Dollars 
and  not  more  than  Two  Hundred  Dollars,  or  be  imprisoned,  not 
more  than  six  months,  or  both,  for  each  offense. 

Setting  Timber  on  Fire 

SECTION  99.  No  person  shall  wilfully  set  on  fire,  or  cause 
to  be  set  on  fire,  any  timber,  underbrush  or  grass,  upon  any 
land  owned  by  the  District,  or  shall  leave  or  suffer  fire  to  burn 
unattended  near  any  timber  or  other  inflammable  material. 

Penalty 

SECTION  100.  Any  person  violating  any  provision  of  the 
above  section  shall  be  fined  not  less  than  Twenty-five  Dollars 
and  not  more  than  Two  Hundred  Dollars,  or  be  imprisoned,  not 
more  than  six  months,  or  both,  for  each  offense. 

Building  Fire  Near  Forest 
Failure  to  Extinguish 

SECTION  101.  No  person  shall  build  a  fire  in  or  near  any 
forest,  timber,  or  other  inflammable  material,  upon  land  owned 
by  the  District,  and  no  person  shall  leave  said  fire  without  totally 
extinguishing  the  same. 

Penalty 

SECTION  102.  Any  person  violating  any  provision  of  the 
above  section  shall  be  fined  not  less  than  Ten  Dollars,  and  not 
more  than  One  Hundred  Dollars,  or  be  imprisoned,  not  more 
than  six  months,  or  both,  for  each  offense. 

Places  to  Build  Fires  in,  Designated 

SECTION  103.  No  person  shall  light  or  make  use  of  any 
fire  in  any  preserve  except  such  portions  thereof  as  may  be  desig- 
nated by  the  Board  of  Commissioners  for  such  purposes,  and 
then  under  such  regulations  as  may  be  prescribed. 

Using  Combustible  Gun  Wads — Carrying  Naked  Torches 

SECTION  104.  No  person  shall  use  combustible  gun  wads 
or  carry  naked  torches  on  forest  lands ;  no  fire  shall  be  set  in  or 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS  133 


near  forest  land  in  connection  with  camping,  without  all  inflam- 
mable material  having  first  been  removed  for  a  distance  of  at 
least  three  feet  around  the  fire. 

Throwing  Away  Lighted  Matches,  Cigars,  Etc. 

SECTION  105.  No  person  shall  drop,  throw,  or  otherwise 
scatter  lighted  matches,  burning  cigars,  cigarettes,  or  tobacco 
within  any  preserve. 

Destroying  Fire  Notices 

SECTION  106.  No  person  shall  deface  or  destroy  any  notice 
posted,  containing  forest  fire  warnings,  laws,  or  rules  and  regu- 
lations. 

Penalty 

SECTION  107.  Any  person  violating  any  clause  or  provision 
of  Sections  103,  104,  105,  106,  shall  be  fined  not  less  than  Five 
Dollars  and  not  more  than  Two  Hundred  Dollars,  for  each 
offense. 


134  THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 

CHAPTER  XI 
PROTECTION  OF  ANIMALS  AND  BIRDS 

Section  108.  Killing  or  Wounding       Section  110.     Hunting     and     Trap- 
Animals,  ping. 

Section  109.  Killing  or  Wounding       Section  111.     Penalty. 
Birds. 

Killing  or  Wounding  Animals 

SECTION  108.  No  person  shall  kill  or  wound  or  attempt 
to  kill  or  wound  any  animal,  or  rob  or  molest  any  lair,  den  or 
burrow  of  any  animal  in  or  upon  any  land  owned  by  the  Dis- 
trict. 

Killing  or  Wounding  Birds 

SECTION  109.  No  person  shall  kill  or  wound,  or  attempt  to 
kill  or  wound  with  firearms,  bow  and  arrow,  pelting  with  stones, 
or  otherwise,  any  bird  within  or  upon  any  of  the  land  owned 
by  the  District,  or  shoot  any  arrow,  or  throw  a  stone  or  club  or 
missile  at  any  bird  therein,  or  rob  or  molest  any  nest  of  any 
bird,  or  take  the  eggs  of  any  such  bird. 

Hunting  and  Trapping 

SECTION  110.  No  person  shall  hunt,  trap,  capture,  carry 
or  lead  away,  disturb  or  treat  cruelly  any  animal  or  bird  upon 
or  from  land  owned  by  the  District. 

Penalty 

SECTION  111.  Any  person  violating  any  clause  or  provision 
of  Sections  108,  109  and  110,  shall  be  fined  not  less  than  Five 
Dollars  and  not  more  than  Two  Hundred  Dollars,  or  be  im- 
prisoned not  more  than  six  months,  or  both,  for  each  offense. 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS  135 

CHAPTER  XII 
PROTECTION  OF  OTHER  PROPERTY 

Section    112.      Injuring    Buildings,          ments. 

Bridges,  Etc.  Section  117.     Fishing  or  Bathing. 

Section  113.     Throwing  Articles  in  Section  118.     Taking     Animals     to 

Water.  Water. 

Section  114.    Goods  as  Obstruction.  Section  119.     Boats,  Yachts,  Etc. 

Section  115.    Destroying  Announce-  Section  120.     Games  and  Sports. 

ments  of  Board.  Section  121.     Penalty. 
Section  116.     Display  of  Advertise- 

SECTION  112.  No  person  shall  cut,  break,  mark  upon,  or 
in  any  way  injure  or  deface  any  of  the  trees,  shrubs,  plants,  flow- 
ers, turf,  grass,  lamp  posts,  fences,  walls,  benches,  bridges,  build- 
ings, or  other  construction  or  property  in  or  upon  the  land  owned 
by  the  District. 

Throwing  Articles  in  Water 

SECTION  113.  No  person  shall  deposit,  dump,  throw,  cast, 
lay  or  place  any  coal,  ashes,  dust,  manure,  rubbish,  paper,  gar- 
bage, refuse  matter,  or  obstructions  of  any  kind  in  or  upon  any 
part  of  the  waters  or  grounds  of  any  preserve. 

Goods  as  Obstruction 

SECTION  114.  No  person  shall  set  or  place,  or  cause  to  be 
placed,  any  goods,  wares,  or  merchandise,  or  property  of  any 
kind  in  any  preserve  to  the  obstruction  of  the  use  of  such  pre- 
serve. 

Destroying  Announcements  of  Board 

SECTION  115.  No  person  shall  deface,  destroy,  or  remove 
any  placard,  notice,  announcement  or  signs  of  any  kind  placed 
or  exhibited  in  any  preserve  by  order  of,  or  by  permit  from  the 
Board  of  the  District. 

Display  of  Advertisements 

SECTION  1.16.  No  person  shall  display  any  placard  or  ad- 
vertisement in  any  preserve,  or  post  or  affix  any  bill,  pamphlet, 
circular,  advertisement  or  notice  on  any  tree,  lamp-post,  flag- 
stone, fence,  wall,  bridge,  bench,  or  building,  or  other  construc- 
tion or  property  in  any  preserve. 


136  THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 

Fishing  or  Bathing 

SECTION  117.  No  person  shall  fish  or  bathe  in  any  of  the 
waters  of  the  Forest.  Preserve,  except  such  portions  thereof  as 
may  be  designated  by  the  Board  for  such  purposes  and  under 
such  regulations  as  may  be  prescribed. 

Taking  Animals  to  Water 

SECTION  118.  No  person  shall  ride,  drive,  send  or  lead 
any  animal  into  any  of  the  waters  of  any  Forest  Preserve,  except 
such  portion  thereof,  as  may  be  designated,  by  the  Board  for 
such  purposes. 

Boats,  Yachts,  Etc. 

SECTION  119.  No  person  shall  bring  any  boat,  yacht,  float, 
raft  or  other  water  craft  into,  or  upon  any  of  the  waters  under 
the  control  of  the  Board  except  into  such  portions  of  said  waters 
as  may  be  designated  by  said  Board  for  the  use  by  private  craft. 

Games  and  Sports 

SECTION  120.  No  person  shall  engage  in  any  sport,  game, 
amusement,  or  exercise  in  any  preserve,  except  such  portions 
thereof,  as  may  be  designated  for  that  purpose  by  the  Board 
and  then  under  such  rules  and  regulations  as  may  be  prescribed 
by  the  District. 

Penalty 

SECTION  121.  Any  person  violating  any  clause  or  provision 
of  Sections  112,  113,  1.14,  115,  116,  117,  118,  119,  120  shall  be 
fined  not  less  than  Five  Dollars,  nor  more  than  Two  Hundred 
Dollars  for  each  offense. 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS 


137 


CHAPTER  XIII 


MISDEMEANORS 


Section  122. 

Section  123. 

Section  124. 

cape. 

Section  125. 

Section  126. 

lice. 

Section  127. 

Section  128. 


Hindering    Employes. 

Penalty. 

Resisting  Police — Es- 

Penalty. 
Impersonation  of  Po- 


Penalty. 

Breach  of  Peace,  Riot, 
Disorderly  Conduct,  Etc. 
Section  129.     Penalty. 
Section  130.     Intoxicating      Bever- 
ages, Drunkenness,  Etc. 
Section  131.     Penalty. 

Horse      Racing     and 


Section  132. 

Gambling. 
Section  133. 
Section  134. 
Section  135. 

dling. 
Section  136. 


Penalty. 

Gambling  Abated. 
Hawking    and     Ped- 

Penalty. 


Section  137.    Indecent       Exposure, 

Etc, 
Section  138.    Obscene   or   Indecent 

Books,   Pamphlets,  Etc. 
Section  139.     Penalty. 
Section  140.     Indecent      Language, 

Cheating  Devices,  Etc. 
Section  141.     Penalty. 

Fire  Arms. 

Penalty. 

Concealed     Weapons. 

Penalty. 

Confiscation  of  Weap- 


Section  142. 

Section  143. 

Section  144. 

Section  145. 

Section  146. 

ons. 

Section  147. 


Use  of  Preserves  and 
Buildings  for  Picnics,  Etc. 

Section  148.     Penalty. 

Section  149.  Balloons,  Aeroplanes 
and  Parachutes. 

Section  150.     Penalty. 

Section  151.     Public  Exhibitions. 

Section  152.     Penalty. 


Hindering  Employes 

SECTION  122.  No  person  shall  interfere  with,  or  in  any 
manner,  hinder  any  employe  of  the  District  while  engaged  in 
constructing,  repairing,  or  caring  for  any  portion  of  the  Pre- 
serve. 

Penalty  t 

SECTION  123.  Any  person  violating  any  clause  or  provi- 
sion of  Section  122  shall  be  fined  not  less  than  Five  Dollars  nor 
more  than  Two  Hundred  Dollars  for  each  offense. 


Resisting  Police — Escape 

SECTION  124.  No  person  shall  resist  any  member  of  the 
police  force  in  the  discharge  of  his  duty,  or .  fail,  or  refuse  to 
obey  any  lawful  command  of  any  police  officer  or  in  any  way 
interfere  with  or  hinder  or  prevent  from  discharging  his  duty, 
or  offer  or  endeavor  to  do  so,  or  in  any  manner  assist  any  per- 
son in  custody  of  any  member  of  the  police  force  to  escape,  or 
attempt  to  escape  from  such  custody,  or  rescue  any  person  in 
custody. 


138  THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 


Penalty 

SECTION  125.  Any  person  violating  any  of  the  provisions 
of  Section  124,  shall  be  fined  not  less  than  Ten  Dollars,  nor  more 
than  Two  Hundred  Dollars  for  each  offense. 

Impersonation  of  Police 

SECTION  126.  No  person  shall  falsely  represent  or  im- 
personate any  member  of  the  police  force,  or  pretend  to  be  a 
member  of  the  police  force,  or  with  intent  to  deceive,  use  any 
of  the  signs,  signals,  or  devices  adopted  or  used  by  the  police. 

Penalty 

SECTION  127.  Any  person  violating  any  of  the  provisions 
of  Section  126  shall  be  subject  to  a  fine  of  not  less  than  Ten 
Dollars  and  not  more  than  Two  Hundred  Dollars  for  each  and 
every  offense. 

Breach  of  Peace,  Riot,  Disorderly  Conduct,  Etc. 

SECTION  128.  No  person  shall  make,  aid,  countenance  or 
assist  in  making  any  improper  noise,  riot,  disturbance,  breach  of 
the  peace  or  diversion  tending  to  a  breach  of  the  peace  within 
any  of  the  preserves  under  the  control  of  the  District,  or  be 
guilty  of  any  disorderly  conduct  thereon,  or  collect  with  other 
persons,  in  bodies  or  crowds  for  unlawful  purposes,  or  for  any 
purpose,  to  the  annoyance  or  disturbance  of  citizens  or  travelers. 

Penalty 

SECTION  129. ;  Any  person  violating  any  of  the  provision 
of  Section  128  shall  be  subject  to  a  fine  of  not  less  than  Two 
Dollars  nor  exceeding  One  Hundred  Dollars  for  each  and  every 
offense. 

Intoxicating  Beverages,  Drunkenness 

SECTION  130.  No  person  shall  bring  intoxicating  beverages 
of  any  kind  for  sale,  or  for  use,  or  for  giving  away,  into  any  of 
the  preserves.  No  intoxicated  person  shall  be  tolerated  in  any 
preserve. 

Penalty 

SECTION  131.  Any  person  violating  any  clause  or  provi- 
sion of  the  foregoing  section,  shall  be  fined  not  less  than  Five 
Dollars  and  not  more  than  Two  Hundred  Dollars,  for  each  of- 
fense. 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS  139 

Horse  Racing  and  Gambling 

SECTION  132.  No  person,  company,  corporation,  or  asso- 
ciation and  no  agent,  employe,  servant,  or  officer  thereof,  or  any 
of  them,  shall  carry  on  or  conduct,  or  aid  or  assist  in  the  carry- 
ing on  or  maintenance  of  any  horse  race  or  horse  racing,  gam- 
bling or  betting  upon  the  result  of  any  horse  race,  or  any  game 
of  chance  upon  or  within  any  preserve,  and  no  person,  company, 
corporation  or  association,  and  no  agent,  employe,  servant,  or 
officer  thereof,  or  any  of  them,  shall  keep,  possess,  maintain  or 
conduct,  or  aid  in  keeping,  possessing,  maintaining,  or  conducting 
any  place,  house,  building,  tent,  or  any  enclosed  or  unenclosed 
ground  upon  or  within  any  preserve  for  the  purpose  of  horse 
racing  or  betting  upon  the  result  of  any  horse  racing  or  game  of 
chance,  or  for  the  purpose  of  gambling  of  any  kind. 

Penalty 

SECTION  1.33.  Any  person,  company,  corporation  or  asso- 
ciation, or  any  agent,  employe,  servant,  or  officer  thereof,  who 
shall  violate  any  of  the  provisions  of  the  foregoing  section,  shall 
upon  conviction  thereof,  be  subject  to  a  fine  of  not  less  than 
Fifty  Dollars  nor  more  than  Two  Hundred  Dollars  for  each  and 
every  offense. 

Gambling  Abated 

SECTION  134.  All  horse  racing  or  gambling  of  any  kind 
upon  or  within  any  preserve  are  hereby  prohibited  and  for- 
bidden ;  and  all  horse  racing  and  gambling  shall  be  abated, 
and  the  Police  Force  are  hereby  empowered,  directed  and  or- 
dered to  prohibit,  forbid,  and  abate  all  horse  racing  and 
gambling  within  the  preserves  aforesaid. 

Hawking  and  Peddling 

SECTION  135.  No  person,  shall  expose  or  offer  for  sale, 
any  articles  or  thing,  or  do  any  hawking  or  peddling  within 
or  upon  any  of  said  preserves. 

Penalty 

SECTION  136.  Any  person  violating  any  of  the  provisions 
of  the  foregoing  Section,  shall  be  subject  to  a  fine  of  not  to 
exceed  Twenty-five  Dollars,  for  each  and  every  offense. 

Indecent  Exposure,  Etc. 

SECTION  137.  If  any  person  shall  appear  in  any  preserve 
in  a  state  of  nudity,  or  in  a  dress  not  properly  belonging  to 


140  THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 

his  or  her  sex,  or  in  an  indecent  or  lewd  dress,  or  shall  make 
any  indecent  exposure  of  his  or  her  person,  he  or  she  shall  be 
subject  to  a  fine  or  not  less  than  Ten  Dollars  and  not  more 
than  Two  Hundred  Dollars,  for  each  and  every  offense. 

Obscene  or  Indecent  Books,  Pamphlets,  Etc. 

SECTION  138.  No  person  shall  exhibit,  sell  or  offer  to  sell, 
give  away,  or  offer  to  give  away,  or  have  in  his  possession, 
with  or  without  intent  to  sell  or  give  away,  any  obscene  or 
indecent  book,  pamphlet,  paper,  drawing,  lithograph,  engrav- 
ing, picture,  daguerrotype,  photograph,  stereoscopic  picture, 
model,  cast,  instrument,  or  any  article  of  indecent  or  immoral 
use  within  any  preserve  of  the  District. 

Penalty 

SECTION  139.  Any  person  violating  any  of  the  provisions 
of  the  foregoing  Section,  shall  be  subject  to  a  fine  of  not  less 
than  Five  Dollars  and  not  more  than  Two  Hundred  Dollars. 

Indecent  Language,  Gambling,  Cheating  Devices,  Etc. 

SECTION  140.  No  person  shall  use  abusive,  insulting,  or 
obscene  language,  or  language  calculated  to  occasion  a  breach 
of  the  peace,  in  any  preserve.  No  person  shall  tell  fortunes, 
play  at  games  of  chance,  or  do  any  indecent  acts  in  any  pre- 
serve. No  person  shall  manage,  use  or  practice  any  game  or 
device  whatever,  with  intent  to  cheat  or  defraud  another,  in 
any  preserve. 

Penalty 

SECTION  141.  Any  person  violating  any  clause  or  pro- 
vision of  the  foregoing  Section,  shall  be  fined  not  less  than 
Five  Dollars  nor  more  than  Two  Hundred  Dollars  for  each 
offense. 

Fire  Arms 

SECTION  142.  No  person  shall  enter  into  any  preserve 
carrying  a  revolver,  pistol,  shotgun,  rifle,  air  or  water  gun, 
or  any  other  fire  arm  of  any  kind,  or  any  sling  shot. 

Penalty 

SECTION  143.  Any  person  violating  any  clause  or  provision 
of  the  foregoing  Section,  shall  be  fined  not  less  than  Twenty- 
five  Dollars  nor  more  than  Two  Hundred  Dollars  for  each 
offense. 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS 141 

Concealed   Weapons — Fireworks 

SECTION  144.  No  person  shall  carry  or  wear  under  his  or 
her  clothes,  or  concealed  about  his  or  her  person,  any  pistol, 
revolver,  derringer,  bowie  knife,  dirk  knife,  or  dirk  razor, 
dagger,  sling-shot,  metallic  knuckles  or  other  dangerous  or 
deadly  weapon  in  or  upon  any  preserve ;  nor  shall  any  person 
fire  or  discharge  any  gun,  pistol,  revolver,  or  throw  stones  or 
other  missiles  in  or  upon  any  such  preserve,  nor  shall  any  person 
fire,  discharge,  or  set  off  any  rocket,  cracker,  torpedo,  squib,  or 
other  fireworks ;  or  other  things  containing  any  substance  of  an 
explosive  nature  in  or  upon  any  such  preserve,  provided,  how- 
ever, that  nothing  herein  contained  shall  be  construed  to  prevent 
any  police  officer  of  the  District,  Sheriff,  Coroner,  Constable, 
Members  of  the  City  Police  Force  or  other  Peace  Officers,  from 
carrying  such  firearms  as  may  be  necessary  in  the  discharge  of 
his  duties  as  such  officer,  nor  shall  it  apply  to  any  person  sum- 
moned by  any  of  such  officers  to  assist  in  making  arrest,  or  pre- 
serving the  peace,  while  such  person  so  summoned  is  engaged 
in  assisting  such  officer. 

Penalty 

SECTION  145.  Any  person  violating  any  clause,  or  provi- 
sion of  the  foregoing  section,  shall  be  fined  not  less  than  Five 
Dollars  and  not  more  than  Two  Hundred  Dollars  for  each  and 
every  offense. 

Confiscation  of  Weapons 

SECTION  146.  Any  such  weapon  or  weapons  worn  or  car- 
ried by  any  person  in  violation  of  said  Sections  142  and  144,  shall 
be  confiscated  and  forfeited  to  the  District. 

Use  of  Preserves  and  Buildings  for  Picnics,  Etc. 

SECTION  147.  No  person  or  society  shall  use  any  preserve 
or  any  of  the  buildings  in  any  preserve,  for  meeting  or  picnic 
purposes  without  having  first  obtained  a  permit  in  writing  from 
the  Board. 

Penalty 

SECTION  148.  Any  person  or  society  violating  any  clause 
or  provision  of  the  foregoing  section  shall  be  subject  to  a  fine  of 
not  less  than  Five  Dollars  and  not  more  than  Two  Hundred 
Dollars. 

Balloons,  Aeroplanes  and  Parachutes 

SECTION  149.  No  person  shall  make  any  ascent  in  any  bal- 
loon or  aeroplane  or  any  descent  in  or  from  any  balloon,  aero- 


142  THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 

plane  or  parachute,  in  any  preserve.  Neither  shall  any  person 
cause  or  permit  any  balloon  or  aeroplane  to  ascend  from,  or  any 
balloon,  aeroplane  or  parachute  to  descend  in  any  preserve  with- 
out permit  from  the  Board. 

Penalty 

SECTION  150.  Any  person  violating  any  clause  or  provi- 
sion of  the  foregoing  section  shall  be  fined  not  less  than  Ten 
Dollars  and  not  more  than  Two  Hundred  Dollars  for  each  of- 
fense. 

Public  Exhibitions 

SECTION  151.  No  person  shall  exhibit  any  machine  or  show, 
or  any  animal,  or  indulge  in  any  acrobatic  feats  in  or  upon  any 
preserve,  nor  shall  any  person  carry  on  any  performance  or  do 
anything  whatsoever  therein  which  shall  collect  any  crowd  of 
persons,  so  as  to  interfere  with  the  proper  use  of  such  preserves 
by  the  general  public,  or  obstruct  the  passage  of  vehicles  or  per- 
sons. 

Penalty 

SECTION  152.  Any  person  who  shall  violate  any  of  the 
provisions  of  the  foregoing  section  shall  be  fined  not  less  than 
Three  Dollars  and  not  more  than  Twenty-five  Dollars  for  each 
and  every  offense. 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS  143 

CHAPTER  XIV 
ORDINANCES 

Section  153.    Record       of       Ordi-  Expressed — Maximum. 

nances.  Section  156.  Penalty  Not  Ex- 
Section  154.  Two  Penalties — Elect-  pressed. 

ive — One  Judgment.  Section  157.  Construction  of 

Section  155.  Minimum  Fine  Only  Words. 

Record  of  Ordinances 

SECTION  153.  All  ordinances  shall  be  recorded  by  the  Sec- 
retary in  a  proper  book  or  books  with  indices.  The  originals  of 
such  ordinances  shall  be  filed  in  the  office  of  the  Secretary. 

Two  Penalties — Elective — One  Judgment 

SECTION.  154.  In  all  cases  where  the  same  offense  shall 
be  made  -  punishable,  or  shall  be  created  by  different  clauses 
or  sections  of  ordinances,  the  officer,  or  person  prosecuting 
may  elect  under  which  to  proceed,  but  not  more  than  one 
recovery  shall  be  had  against  the  same  person  for  the  same 
offense. 

Minimum  Fine  Only  Expressed — Maximum 

SECTION  155.  Whenever  in  this  or  any  ordinance  here- 
after passed  a  minimum,  but  no  maximum  fine  or  penalty  is 
imposed,  the  court  may  in  its  discretion  adjudge  the  offender 
or  offenders  to  pay  any  sum  of  money  exceeding  the  mini- 
mum fine  or  penalty  so  fixed,  not  exceeding  the  sum  of  Two 
Hundred  Dollars. 

Penalty  Not  Expressed 

SECTION  156.  Whenever  in  any  ordinance  the  doing  of 
any  act  or  the  omission  to  do  any  act  or  duty  is  declared  to 
be  a  breach  thereof,  and  there  shall  be  no  fine  or  penalty  de- 
clared for  such  breach,  any  person  who  shall  be  convicted  of 
any  such  breach  shall  be  adjudged  to  pay  a  fine  of  not  less  than 
Three  Dollars  nor  more  than  One  Hundred  Dollars. 

Construction  of  Words 

SECTION  157.  Whenever  any  words  in  any  ordinance 
importing  the  plural  number  shall  be  used  in  describing  or 
referring  to  any  matters,  parties  or  persons,  any  single  mat- 


144  THE  FOREST  PRESERVES 

ter,  party  or  person,  shall  be  deemed  to  be  included,  although 
distributive  words  may  not  be  used;  and  when  any  subject 
matter,  party  or  person  shall  be  referred  to  in  any  ordinance 
by  words  importing  the  singular  number  only,  or  in  the 
masculine  gender,  several  matters,  parties  or  persons,  and 
females  as  well  as  males,  and  bodies  corporate,  shall  be  deemed 
to  be  included ;  provided,  however,  that  these  rules  of  con- 
struction shall  not  be  applied  to  any  ordinance  which  shall 
contain  any  express  provision  excluding  such  construction, 
or  where  the  subject  matter  or  contents  of  such  ordinance 
may  be  repugnant  thereto. 

Each  of  the  words :  Woods,  Timber,  Forest,  Preserve, 
whenever  used  in  any  ordinance  means :  Land  owned  by  the 
Forest  Preserve  District  of  Cook  County. 

"District"  whenever  used  in  any  ordinance  means : 
Forest  Preserve  District  of  Cook  County. 

"President"  whenever  used  in  any  ordinance  means : 
President  of  the  Board  of  Forest  Preserve  Commissioners 
for  the  Forest  Preserve  District  of  Cook  County. 

"Board"  whenever  used  in  any  ordinance  means :  Board 
of  Forest  Preserve  Commissioners  for  the  Forest  Preserve 
District  of  Cook  County. 

"Ordinance"  whenever  used  in  any  ordinance,  means : 
Ordinance  of  the  Forest  Preserve  District  of  Cook  County. 

"Person"  whenever,  used  in  any  ordinance  means :  In- 
dividuals, firms,  corporations,  societies. 

"Police"  whenever  used  in  any  ordinance  means :  Police 
of  the  Forest  Preserve  District  of  Cook  County. 


OF  COOK  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS  45 


CHAPTER  XV 
REPEAL 

Section  158.     Repeal.  Pending  Suits  or  Prosecutions. 

Section  159.     Repeal  Not  to  Affect       Section  160.     In  Force. 

SECTION  158.  All  ordinances  and  parts  of  ordinances 
and  all  resolutions  and  orders,  or  any  parts  thereof,  in  conflict 
with  this  ordinance,  or  any  parts  thereof,  are  hereby  repealed. 

Repeal  Not  to  Affect  Pending  Suits  or  Prosecutions 

SECTION  159.  Neither  this  ordinance  nor  any  new  ordi- 
nance hereafter  passed  shall  be  construed  or  held  to  repeal  a 
former  ordinance,  whether  such  former  ordinance  is  expressly 
repealed  or  not,  as  to  any  offense  committed  against  the 
former  ordinance  or  as  to  any  act  done,  any  penalty,  forfeiture 
or  punishment  incurred,  or  any  right  accrued,  or  claims  arising 
under  the  former  ordinance,  or  in  any  way  whatever  to  affect 
any  such  offense  or  act  so  committed  or  done,  or  any  penalty, 
forfeiture  or  punishment  so  incurred  or  any  right  accrued,  or 
claims  arising  before  this  or  any  such  new  ordinance  takes 
effect,  save  only  that  the  proceedings  thereafter  shall  conform, 
so  far  as  practicable,  to  the  ordinances  in  force  at  the  time 
of  such  proceedings.  If  any  penalty,  forfeiture  or  punishment 
be  mitigated  by  any  provision  of  a  new  ordinance,  such  pro- 
vision may,  by  the  consent  of  the  party  affected,  be  applied 
to  any  judgment  pronounced  after  the  new  ordinance  takes 
effect. 

The  Section  shall  extend  to  all  repeals  either  by  express 
words  or  by  implication,  whether  the  repeal  is  in  the  ordinance 
making  any  new  provision  upon  the  same  subject  or  any  other 
ordinance. 

In   Force 

SECTION  160.  This  Ordinance  shall  be  in  force  and  effect 
upon  and  from  its  passage  and  publication. 


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UNIVERSITY  of  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELA 
UBRAKY 


